Four Chinese Nationals Sentenced in Retail Identity Fraud Scheme: Hundreds of Identities Stolen, at Least $1.2 Million Taken
On March 17, 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced that four Chinese nationals were sentenced to federal prison in federal court in Los Angeles, a city in Los Angeles County, California, for their participation in a complex scheme that targeted hundreds of U.S. consumers. The scheme involved the theft of hundreds of identities to defraud multiple domestic retailers out of at least $1.2 million.
United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson imposed the sentences. All four defendants pleaded guilty on January 6, and all four are Chinese nationals who entered the country under false pretenses.
Kar Kee "Steven" Cheung, 36, of Chino Hills, a city in San Bernardino County, California, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of visa fraud, one count of possession of equipment used to manufacture false identification documents, and one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
Qian Guo, 37, also of Chino Hills in San Bernardino County, California, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for one count of possession of equipment used to manufacture false identification documents and one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
Chongming "Ming" Wang, 28, of Temple City, a city in Los Angeles County, California, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of aiding and abetting access device fraud in excess of $1,000.
Jiaozhu "Yanny" Yan, 30, of Alhambra, a city in Los Angeles County, California, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for one count of visa fraud.
As part of the scheme, the six defendants stole the victims' identities — including their Social Security numbers, dates of birth and home addresses — and used that information to make fake driver's licenses that were used to access credit in the victims' names at large national retailers, including Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy's, Kohl's, Williams-Sonoma, Dillard's, and Saks Fifth Avenue. The Justice Department said suspects using fake driver's licenses as part of this scheme may also have been opening retail-branded credit accounts in the victims' names.
A fifth co-conspirator was sentenced earlier in the case. Sizhen "Rachel" Liu, 35, also a Chinese national and a resident of Chino Hills in San Bernardino County, California, was sentenced on January 6 to 50 months in federal prison for one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of access device fraud in excess of $1,000.
The sixth defendant in the case, Hyun Woo "Scott" Jung, 30, of Ontario, a city in San Bernardino County, California, pleaded guilty on February 10 to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of possession with intent to use unlawfully five or more false identification documents. Jung is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Wilson on May 5.
The ongoing investigation in this matter is being conducted by the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). During the investigation, DSS received substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, with additional support from the Alhambra Police Department, the Arcadia Police Department, and the Bel Air, Maryland Police Department.
The DSS Los Angeles Field Office has created a tipline to solicit information confidentially from sources with information about this scheme. Security and loss prevention personnel from the large national retailers identified above are encouraged to contact the DSS LA Retail Fraud Tipline if they have information about Los Angeles-area transactions closely matching this scheme.
Assistant United States Attorney Kim Meyer of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于加利福尼亚州洛杉矶县洛杉矶市市中心的第一街美国联邦法院大楼全景（西一街与百老汇交口），该楼为美国加州中区联邦地区法院所在地，本案在此判刑（照片：Daniel L. Lu，CC BY-SA 4.0，Wikimedia Commons）。 / Photo: The First Street U.S. Courthouse at West 1st Street and Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, home of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, where the defendants were sentenced (photo: Daniel L. Lu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
