By Lynn West
New Albany Gazette
New Albany police are working on a case that may involve a national identity theft ring.
Chief Chris Robertson said local involvement began about 1 p.m. this past Thursday when police received a call from Lowe’s Home Improvement saying someone was attempting to use a stolen credit card.
“At the same time, a uniformed MHP officer walked in the store to pick up something and the clerk alerted the officer,” Robertson said. The suspects hurriedly left the store when they saw the officer, but he was able to get them stopped on Bratton Road near the sportsplex about the time New Albany police arrived.
“They’ve apparently been hitting Lowe’s and Wal-Marts and similar stores between New York and here,” the chief said. In fact, the suspects had used cards later determined to be stolen at the Lowe’s in Tupelo. “That’s probably what got them caught, the cards being reported stolen in Tupelo.”
The suspects’ routine has been to use credit cards that are legitimate on the face side but have a digital number of a stolen card on the back, Robertson said. The suspects will use the fake cards to buy gift cards that can then be converted into untraceable cash and then discard the fake cards.
Robertson said they recovered about 50 different credit cards from the suspects and a few thousand dollars in cash. The suspects had obtained $3,800 worth of real gift cards from the Tupelo store and were trying to get $2,400 more at the New Albany store. The chief said the suspects may have had a handler in a separate car who kept the larger amounts of cash, but who was able to flee when these suspects were stopped.
“We think they may be part of a huge ring, and the Secret Service and U. S. Attorney are interested in the case also,” the chief said. These suspects come from different areas and all appear to have Asian heritage.
Robertson said some of the stolen identities are from North Mississippi and a goal now is to learn how the suspects were obtaining the information.
Charged with felony false pretense are:
• Zhang Yongdi, 33, of Roanoke, Va.
• Jixian Zhu, 28, of Chicago, Ill.
• Hai Ping Chi, 28, of New York City
• Qin Li, 27 of New York City
• Dong Lin, 33, of Brooklyn, N. Y.
• Xiaoran Liu, 25, of Brooklyn, N. Y.
Bond for each was set at $10,000.
The chief said the suspects appear to have little or no criminal history, but officers are still waiting to hear from the immigration service as to which are in the country illegally, if any.
Robertson expressed thanks to the Highway Safety Patrol and Secret Service for their help, and wanted to remind the public to use caution with credit cards.
“You must use vigilance for you personal security,” he said, and urged people to use smart phone apps available from most banks and credit card companies that will alert a cardholder when someone tries to use the card information.