ST. LOUIS — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Missouri, Eastern), published as received.

ST. LOUIS – A Chinese national pleaded guilty Wednesday and admitted participating in a nationwide scam involving gift cards.

Liang Xiong, 39, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices. From Feb. 24, 2026, through at least March 11, 2026, Xiong stole gift cards from retailers throughout the United States, according to his plea agreement.  Xiong removed the strip concealing the serial number on the gift cards and recorded that number before placing the compromised gift cards back on display racks in stores in Colorado, Iowa and Missouri.  Once the gift cards were purchased and activated, Xiong and others intended to steal the funds on the card by using the serial number that they’d recorded.
 
Xiong admitted stealing 15 Amazon gift cards on March 10, 2026, from a store in O’Fallon, Missouri.  The next day, he placed 16 previously stolen Apple gift cards in a display in a store in St. Charles.  He was arrested that day by the St. Charles Police Department with 134 compromised gift cards from three retailers in his vehicle.  The total value of the cards would have been $58,300 had the cards been purchased and activated by paying customers. All the gift cards in this case were recovered prior to any customers purchasing them, Xiong’s plea agreement says.

Court documents indicate Xiong entered the country illegally through Mexico and has a pending asylum claim.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations recommends looking out for signs that gift cards have been altered or counterfeited.

Xiong is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 10, 2027. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine. He will also likely be deported upon his release from prison.

The case was investigated by HSI and the St. Charles Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karin Schute is prosecuting the case.