ALBANY, Ga. – Two individuals pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges resulting from separate United States Secret Service (USSS) led investigations into larger Walmart gift card schemes involving hundreds of fraud victims from across the country.
Wen Xue Lin, 39, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Lawson on September 29 and face a maximum of 20 years imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. Sentencings for the defendants will occur within 90 days as determined by the Court.
“Undoubtedly, the work of the United States Secret Service and our local partners prevented many more Americans from being victims in these vast gift card schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Fraudsters, both here and abroad, are relentless in their efforts to scam unsuspecting people. I hope this case reminds all of us to be alert to the growing number of financial scams out there, and report incidences of fraud to the authorities. Local police reports filed by victims assisted in this case.”
“These investigations clearly show how foreign actors pray on American victims. The international fraudsters operated numerous fraud schemes to convince American victims to purchase gift cards. The international actors utilized their foreign connections within the United States to ‘cash out’ the gift cards purchased by victims of fraud,” said Clint Bush, Resident Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, Albany. “The strong relationship between the United States Secret Service and Walmart Global Investigations prevented additional victims in this fraud scheme. The United States Secret Service, along with our state, local and federal law enforcement partners will continue to investigate, arrest and support the successful prosecution of criminals who choose to commit this and other types of financial fraud in our community and around the nation.”
According to court documents, Wen Lin and Yao Lin, acting apart from each other, traveled at different times to Walmart stores located in the southern United States to purchase various gift cards using electronic Walmart gift cards on their smart phones which were obtained by unnamed individuals through multiple scams inflicted on victims across the country.
Wen Lin told agents that he would receive a gift card number from sources in China through an app on his smart phone. Once the gift card number was loaded onto his phone, Wen Lin would go to a Walmart and purchase other kinds of gift cards and send those gift cards back to China. Wen Lin was taken into custody on September 26, 2019, at a Walmart store in Hazlehurst, Georgia, after making illicit purchases at Walmart stores over a three-day period within the Middle District of Georgia including Tifton, Winder, Athens, Madison, Forsyth, Macon, Warner Robins, Perry, Cordele, Americus and Albany. A search of Wen Lin’s vehicle recovered 1,298 Walmart Vanilla Mastercard and American Express gift cards with a face value totaling $229,100.
Vanilla Mastercard and American Express gift cards with a face value totaling $229,100. There was approximately $40,000 in unused value remaining on those cards. The gift cards were used to purchase other cards in the amount of $287,335.34.
Related Federal Cases
- Gee-Kung Chang, Visa and Wire Fraud, Georgia 2021 · New York
- Michael Blackmon, Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud, Georgia 2024 · Georgia
- Austell Accountant, Stolen Identity Refund Fraud, Georgia 2023 · New York
- John Van Vught, Wire Fraud, Vermont 2023 · Vermont
- Vance White, Wire Fraud, Indiana 2026 · Indiana
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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