A federal court in Albany found Jun Wang guilty of laundering proceeds from a national gift card fraud scheme that moved roughly $2.2 million through rapid redemptions and store-to-store purchases.
Jun Wang, a 63-year-old Chinese national and lawful permanent resident, was convicted after a bench trial that reviewed activity between June 2019 and June 2021. The evidence tied Wang to the redemption of gift cards bought with funds taken from victims across the United States, including in the Northern District of New York.
Prosecutors showed that Wang redeemed about $2.2 million worth of gift cards that were purchased by people who had been scammed online or over the phone. He received card details electronically from co-conspirators overseas and then used the fraud proceeds to buy other gift cards at retailers such as Walmart and Sam’s Club in Florida to obscure the origin of the money.
Investigators documented a pattern: Wang would visit multiple stores, sometimes several Walmarts in a single day, and use different registers within the same location to redeem cards. On many occasions he redeemed gift cards just hours, and in some cases minutes, after victims had purchased them, minimizing the trail linking card purchases to the overseas accomplices.
At trial, multiple victims described how they bought gift cards after being tricked into believing they were paying legitimate debts or fees. While Wang did not interact directly with the victims, a secretly recorded conversation with an FBI agent included his admission that “[w]e all know” about the fraud, which is “[e]asy to know.” In that recording, he also referred to an elderly victim by saying “[t]he only loser is the lady,” and, “[o]ther than this lady, everybody’s happy.”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, “Wang was a knowing and essential player in a calculated, international scheme that preyed on victims, including the elderly, throughout the United States. We will tirelessly pursue and hold accountable individuals involved in every level of these fraud schemes. There is no safe harbor for those who profit from exploiting vulnerable Americans.”
Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli said, “Mr. Wang was part of an international scheme that stole millions from hardworking Americans across the country and right here at home. This conviction illustrates the FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, will not tolerate this deceitful behavior, and will continue to provide our expert resources to investigate these crimes and prosecute the criminals who are intent on defrauding the American public.”
Judge Mae A. D’Agostino, who presided over the bench trial and issued a 20-page decision finding Wang guilty, will sentence him on June 16, 2026. The conviction carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, and up to three years of supervised release, though the judge will set the final sentence guided by federal sentencing rules and case-specific factors.
The FBI led the investigation with help from local law enforcement across the country, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Perry, Michael D. Gadarian, and Tamara B. Thomson. The record presented at trial linked the overseas operators who supplied card data with the domestic activity used to convert stolen value into laundered funds, creating a transnational fraud pipeline.
