North Texas police seize over 4,000 gift cards worth over $1.7M in fraud investigation
Police in North Texas recently arrested suspects involved in “a sophisticated multi-state gift card tampering ring” after investigators recovered more than 4,000 gift cards with a value of over $1.7 million, according to the Burleson Police Department.
Burleson officers were alerted on June 27 by a Flock Safety automated license plate reader that flagged a vehicle connected to fraudulent activities at Home Depot stores, police said in a news release.
A Burleson officer assigned to Fort Worth Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center informed patrol officers, who found the suspect car in a Target parking lot at 200 NW John Jones Drive, next to the Home Depot in Burleson. Officers saw two men leaving the Target store and getting into a Honda Accord. The car drove onto Southwest Wilshire Boulevard, where officers observed a traffic violation and conducted a traffic stop, according to the release.
When they approached the Accord, officers saw a large number of gift cards in plain view, and they detained the suspects and conducted a probable cause search. Officers found “over 1,000 gift cards neatly packaged and organized in bundles and boxes,” leading to the arrest of the suspects, the release states.
As the investigation continued, Burleson police coordinated with other agencies including a U.S. Secret Service Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, organized retail crime prevention teams for Home Depot and Target, and police in Fort Worth, Colleyville, Euless and Carrollton.
The investigation led to a hotel in Carrollton and officers obtained a search warrant. Officers recovered a total of 4,017 gift cards with an estimated value of $1,720,050.
The two suspects face felony charges including theft of property over $300,000, fraud, and possession or use of credit or debit cards.
This story was originally published July 8, 2024 at 1:33 PM.
