A federal grand jury in Birmingham has indicted a Chinese national, Xiebin Xue, on charges of possessing counterfeit gift cards. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
The indictment alleges that on January 10, 2024, Xue was found with at least 33 gift cards that had been re-encoded with card numbers different from those printed on the cards. Additionally, he allegedly possessed at least two gift cards bearing fake bar code labels that did not match either the printed or encoded numbers.
Xue is charged with possession of fifteen or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The United States Secret Service and the Tuscaloosa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting.
“An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,” according to the statement released by authorities.
