Man seeking asylum admits to nationwide gift card fraud

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A Chinese national pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis to nationwide gift card fraud.

Liang Xiong, 39, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices.

Prosecutors said that Xiong stole gift cards from retailers across the country from Feb. 24 through at least March 11, 2026. He would reportedly remove the strip concealing the serial numbers on the gift cards and record the numbers before placing the compromised gift cards back on display racks in stores. Once the gift cards were purchased and activated, Xiong and others intended to steal the funds on the cards by using the recorded serial numbers.

According to prosecutors, Xiong admitted to stealing 15 Amazon gift cards from a store in O’Fallon, Missouri. He also admitted to placing 16 previously stolen Apple gift cards in a display in a store in St. Charles.

When Xiong was arrested by the St. Charles Police Department, he had 134 compromised gift cards from three stores in his car. The total value of the gift cards would have been $58,300 if they had been purchased and activated by paying customers.

Court documents state that Xiong entered the country illegally through Mexico and has a pending asylum claim.

Xiong faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 at this sentencing on Feb. 10, 2027. Prosecutors said he will also likely be deported when he is released from prison.