Four Chinese Nationals Sentenced for Identity Theft Scheme Defrauding Retailers

Four Chinese nationals were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a scheme that defrauded U.S. retailers of at least $1.2 million by stealing identities. The defendants stole victims' Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and home addresses to create fake driver’s licenses, which were used to open credit accounts at major retailers like Nordstrom and Macy's. Kar Kee “Steven” Cheung received 42 months, Qian Guo got 33 months, Chongming “Ming” Wang was sentenced to 18 months, and Jiaozhu “Yanny” Yan received 12 months and one day. A fifth conspirator previously received over four years, while a sixth awaits sentencing. All defendants entered the U.S. under false pretenses and pleaded guilty to various charges, including visa fraud and conspiracy to commit access device fraud. The case was investigated by the State Department and involved multiple law enforcement agencies.