The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York announced on Friday that Jun Wang, a 62-year-old Chinese national and permanent resident of the United States, has been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Wang, who has been a resident of Florida and Texas for the majority of the last 26 years, is reported to have received gift cards from wire fraud schemes that specifically targeted victims in the Northern District of New York and other areas. This information was provided by the U.S. attorney’s office.
According to the indictment, Wang is accused of using fraudulently obtained gift cards, amounting to over $2 million, at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores between June 2019 and June 2021. The purpose was to buy more gift cards, with the intention of concealing the origin and purpose of the stolen funds, as stated by the Department.
The U.S. attorney’s office has stated that Wang could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to twice the value of the funds he allegedly laundered, which could total $4 million.
Wang was taken into custody a few weeks ago at Los Angeles International Airport. He was brought before Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric in Binghamton, New York, for his arraignment.
Wang has been ordered to be detained by Judge Lovric until his trial, which is anticipated to take place in 2025 before Senior U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd.
The charges mentioned in the indictment are currently just accusations, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. It is important to note that the defendant is entitled to a fair trial and is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.