Chinese Nationals Suspected in Sophisticated Gift Card Theft Ring in Southern California

Two Chinese nationals were arrested during a retail theft sting operation and accused of stealing gift cards in Ventura County May 10, according to the county sheriff’s office. Detectives with the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force arrested Tingxiang Yang, 39, and Lingyu Chen, 35, at a Target store on the 800 block of New Los Angeles Avenue in Moorpark, located about 45 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The task force was conducting an operation at the store when two men were allegedly seen removing bulk quantities of gift cards from a display and putting them in bags. The suspects were arrested in the store’s parking lot....