Former Postal Worker In Santa Ana Agrees To Plead Guilty To Stealing Credit Cards

SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — A former U.S. Postal Service worker accused of stealing thousands of credit cards and selling them has agreed to plead guilty, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.

Chinh Vuong pleaded not guilty Tuesday in a Santa Ana courtroom but is expected to change those pleas later, federal prosecutors said.

He was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

The 48-year-old Garden Grove man "victimized thousands of postal customers to finance a life of luxury, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker.

Vuong started working as a mail processing clerk in Santa Ana in 1989. Between Oct. 6, 2014 and Oct, 6 2015, "Vuong stole at least 6,240 credit cards from undelivered mail for the profit of him and others. Vuong made at least $6,000 per month selling stolen credit cards, according to a press release.

Prosecutors said on October 6, 2015, authorities searched Vuong's home and seized 199 stolen credit cards and luxury items bought using the money from selling the stolen credit cards. The luxury items included two BMW's and more than 20 handbags made by brands like Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci.

He also spent some of the money on alcohol and drugs, federal prosecutors wrote.

Vuong faces at least two years in federal prison.