Four arrested as police bust Walmart fraud gang in Toronto

Investigators with the York Regional Police Major Fraud Unit have arrested four suspects in connection with a series of credit card frauds in the Town of Markham, Town of Richmond Hill and the City of Vaughan.

On Wednesday, March 30, 2011, police began working in conjunction with investigators from Walmart Canada regarding a male suspect who had been using fraudulent credit cards to purchase approximately $300,000 worth of merchandise at their stores. Through investigative efforts, police were able to identify a suspect.

On Friday, April 15, 2011, officers executed a search warrant at a residential address on Trident Avenue in the City of Mississauga. During their search police seized approximately $50,000 in fraudulently obtained merchandise, $2,400 in cash, fraudulent credit cards and instruments used to forge credit cards. Police arrested one male suspect and one female suspect without incident at that time.

On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, police arrested two more suspects without incident.

CHARGED:

 Wei SHU, 29, of Mississauga
 Jin YANG, 26, of Mississauga
 Jian WANG, 48, of Mississauga
 Xiao ZHAO, 54, of Mississauga

CHARGES:

 Fraud Over $5,000
 Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000
 Money Laundering
 Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence
 Possession of Credit Card Data
 Use of Credit Card Data
 Making, Having or Dealing in Instruments for Forging or Falsifying Credit Cards
 Identity Theft

Mr. SHU has been held in custody and will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on Friday, April 21, 2011. Mr. WANG and Ms. ZHAO have been held in custody and will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Ms. YANG has been released from custody and will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on Thursday, May 19, 2011.