SPOKANE, Wash. – Zhango Liang, 24, from Fuzhou City, was sentenced to 264 days in prison for his role in a fraud scheme involving returning counterfeit iPads at Target.
Judge Pennell sentenced Liang, acknowledging his previous 101 days served in Skagit County, Washington, for related charges, totaling one year in prison.
Liang will also face three years of supervised release and must pay $326,000 in restitution.
Court documents revealed that in summer 2023, Liang was recruited by a friend to use gift cards for Target purchases. Starting in December 2023, he began returning counterfeit iPads, swapping out authentic devices and receiving refunds on gift cards.
Between January and June 2024, Liang returned at least 140 counterfeit iPads, resulting in approximately $163,000 in refunds and a total loss of $326,000 to Target.
Liang worked alongside Linda You, who pleaded guilty to a fraud charge and will be sentenced on June 23, 2025, in Spokane.
