Hunter
05/13/25
Two Johnston Iowa men were charged after allegedly using stolen credit card token numbers to purchase gift cards at area stores.
34-year-old Zhi Wen Wu and 33-year-old Fei Wang, both of Longmeadow Drive in Johnston, were apprehended the afternoon of April 22nd. According to court records, the two purchased $473 in cards from the 8th Street HyVee; $570 in cards from the Dodge Street HyVee; $950 in cards from Lulu Lemon in Coralville; $600 in cards from the Coralville Dollar Tree store, and another $95 in cards from the 1st Avenue HyVee.
All the purchases were charged back to the retailers, as they were not authorized by the issuing financial institutions. The cards were transferred via electronic means to co-conspirators, who reimbursed Wu and Wang a percentage of the retail theft totals per day.
Warrants were issued for the pair’s arrest on May 8th; they were taken into custody in Polk County on Monday.
Wu and Wang each face charges of Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card and Money Laundering; Wu also was charged with Illegal Use of a Scanning Device. If convicted on all counts, Wang could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison, while Wu faces a maximum 20 years.