A New York resident and apparent Chinese national is facing deportation after being accused of credit card fraud against a Flagler County resident. 43-year-old Qianlang Gan was initially arrested for unrelated offenses in Jacksonville in late March before being tied to these crimes as well, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
According to a statement on the investigation, deputies were first contacted on April 1 about a Palm Coast resident who noticed suspicious charges on her credit card statement. The victim reported seeing three purchases made around Jacksonville, but said she hadn’t been in the area anytime recently.
ⓒ Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
Detectives with the FCSO’s General Assignment Unit reviewed financial records and surveillance footage from the stores in question. They soon determined that the suspect was an Asian woman driving a white Lexus SUV. She was believed to have added the victim’s credit card to her smartphone’s digital wallet, and begun using it to make contactless payments.
Footage from the three stores in Jacksonville where the purchases occurred are said to have shown the same woman making purchases on March 24. Detectives from the FCSO’s Real Time Crime Center assisted on the case, and identified the suspect: Qianlang Gan. A Staten Island resident, Gan was arrested in Jacksonville on March 26 for possession of a counterfeit driver’s license, possession of a controlled substance, and petty theft.
Coordination between the FCSO and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office revealed that Gan was reportedly driving the same white Lexus SUV at the time of her arrest as she was in the surveillance footage. A warrant was obtained charging Gan with fraudulent usage of personal identification information. She’s presently being held at the John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility in Jacksonville.
The FCSO says that Gan may be reported from the United States by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She was identified as a Chinese national. As of Thursday ICE has placed an immigration detainer on Gan, meaning she may be held for additional time after her scheduled release date.
