Man accused of altering Apple gift cards at Johnsburg Walmart to steal money

The Johnsburg Walmart is among stores in and around McHenry County where a man allegedly tampered with stolen gift cards for his personal financial gain.

Jiaqing Chen, 35, of the 2600 block of South Halsted in Chicago, is charged with using an account number to defraud and altering or possessing altered credit or debit cards with the intent to defraud, both Class 4 felonies, according to the complaint.

A warrant for his arrest was issued Wednesday, McHenry County court documents show. Conviction on a Class 4 felony carries a potential prison term of one to three years. Probation also could be imposed.

Chen allegedly altered or “counterfeited” nine Apple debit or gift cards, each bearing its own unique redemption code or gift card number. He is accused of possessing the altered gift cards, which he “eventually placed back on the shelves at Walmart” in March, according to the complaint.

On each card, “the last half of the redemption code had been scratched off” in a way that when someone would have bought the card and put money on it, “that money gets sent to the defendant, and the scratched-off redemption code cannot be utilized” by the customer, according to the complaint.

“It’s a very complicated scheme,” Johnsburg Police Chief Jason Greenwald said, adding that the investigation is ongoing and Chen is suspected to be linked to other schemes at Walmarts in McHenry County and surrounding counties.

Greenwald said the police department was contacted by Walmart Global Loss Protection.

After a traffic stop in Lincolnwood, a vehicle identified as being driven by Chen when he allegedly went to the Johnsburg Walmart was seized by police, Greenwald and Lincolnwood Deputy Chief Travis Raypole said.

Chen, who was driving the vehicle, was cited for not having a driver’s license and released, Raypole said.

Chen was due to appear in the Skokie courthouse Wednesday on the traffic citation, Raypole said.

Johnsburg police obtained a search warrant for the vehicle, in which officers found more than 600 Apple gift cards, Greenwald said.

Chen is accused of taking the gift cards, gently opening the packages and manipulating the numbers so that when he puts the cards back on a rack and someone buys and loads them with money, that money goes into an account owned by Chen, Greenwald said.

Then, when the customer goes to use the gift card, it does not work because the last few numbers have been scratched off, the police chief said.

Walmart’s corporate office did not answer a call seeking comment.