STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Three New York City men are in custody in Stafford County after deputies found them with 96 iPads, as well as several other Apple products, which police say were obtained through an elaborate retail fraud scheme.
According to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, two deputies were investigating a retail fraud case spanning several states when it was determined that the suspects were at a Target in the Aquia Harbor area of Stafford.
The suspects in this case were determined to have been buying expensive Apple products from stores, replacing them with cheap replicas and returning them for gift cards to refunds.
The deputies responded to the Target and arrested one of the suspects after making a fraudulent transaction. The second suspect saw the arrest and tried to run away, but was caught. The third suspect was arrested as he was making his way towards the group’s getaway car in the parking lot.
After arresting the suspects, the deputies found 96 iPads, 37 pairs of Air Pods, four series 9 Apple Watches and nine Apple Watch Ultra 2s. The deputies also found several counterfeit Apple products, including 87 pairs of Air Pods, 49 Apple Watch bands, nine iPads and 44 series 9 Apple watches.
The suspects were identified as 24-year-old Rui Lin, 23-year-old Hong Liu and 24-year-old Sheng Chen, all of New York City. They have been charged with obtaining money by false pretenses, conspiracy, possession of stolen property with intent to sell and possession of controlled substances. They are being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
