MINEOLA, N.Y. — Seven individuals have been charged with money laundering and conspiracy following a 15-month investigation into a scheme that used fraudulently obtained Home Depot and Lowe’s gift cards to buy merchandise for resale, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced.
The defendants, who were arraigned Wednesday before Judge Lisa A. LoCurto, are accused of laundering approximately $20 million between January 3, 2023, and March 4, 2025. They face charges of second-degree money laundering, a Class C felony, and fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony.
The individuals charged are:
- Sky Lin, 36, of Flushing, N.Y.
- Lifa Wang, 49, of Flushing, N.Y.
- Hai Tao Liu, 38, of Staten Island, N.Y.
- Yu Lin, 35, of Fresh Meadows, N.Y.
- Jie Lin, 32, of Flushing, N.Y.
- Lixi Wang, 40, of Flushing, N.Y.
- Jia Bin Chen, 39, of Fresh Meadows, N.Y.
If convicted, they each face up to 5 to 15 years in prison. Six defendants are due back in court on March 14, while Jie Lin is scheduled to appear on March 7.
Authorities say the fraud involved a sophisticated computer scam that used spyware pop-ups and scam text messages to deceive victims into believing their computers or financial information had been compromised. The victims—more than 1,800 across 45 states, including dozens in the New York area—were then instructed to purchase Home Depot and Lowe’s gift cards to allegedly offset charges or assist in a law enforcement investigation.
The defendants allegedly obtained these gift cards from the fraud perpetrators and used them at more than 80 retail locations across New York State to buy copper pipes, electrical wire, and hot water heaters. Surveillance footage and transaction records show the suspects spending hours at a time purchasing merchandise, prosecutors said.
The items were stored in multiple locations in Flushing, Bayside, Fresh Meadows, and Brooklyn before being resold to home improvement and plumbing supply businesses in Queens and Brooklyn.
“This sophisticated $20 million scheme laundered the funds from fraudulently obtained Home Depot and Lowe’s gift cards through retail locations in New York State, and other stores throughout the Northeast,” Donnelly said. “These seven defendants used the stolen funds, obtained through a computer scam that targeted more than 1,800 victims in 45 states, to buy copper pipes, electrical wire, and other equipment for resale to local home improvement businesses in New York City.”
A search warrant executed on March 4 led to the recovery of enough products to fill 12 box trucks, along with $100,000 in cash, high-end jewelry, handbags, and several vehicles containing additional merchandise.
Authorities say the suspects conducted more than 6,000 transactions on over 400 different dates, with more than $3 million of the gift cards redeemed in Nassau County.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder praised investigators for uncovering the scheme. “The men and women of the Nassau County Police Department work tirelessly every day to protect our residents from those who engage in fraud and scams like this one which target innocent people,” he said.
Scott Glenn, vice president of asset protection for The Home Depot, also commended law enforcement’s efforts, stating, “ORC [organized retail crime] continues to be a challenge for retailers and consumers, and our teams are committed to addressing this issue.”
