Bail remains set at $500,000 for man charged in gift card scam

By Ray Brewer

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    CONCORD, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A man accused of taking part in a multimillion-dollar gift card scam will likely remain in jail after a judge refused to reduce his $500,000 bail.

The judge also set an expedited trial date for Jinbin Ren, but he said the expectation is that the case will eventually be taken over by the federal government.

Ren was allegedly running a warehouse in Salem where police said they found about $6 million in Apple goods waiting to be shipped overseas.

Prosecutors alleged that Ren was part of a ring where gift cards would be stolen from stores, and the card number and PIN would be written down. The cards would then be returned, looking like they were new.

Once funds were entered on the cards, the money would be stolen and used to buy Apple products, prosecutors said.

The defense asked that bail be reduced to $25,000 cash, noting that Ren has family ties, including a wife and children, in Massachusetts. But the prosecution said that Ren originally fled to China, and even though he returned, he remains a flight risk.

The defense questioned the nature of Ren’s involvement in the scam and the evidence against him, but prosecutors said a search of his phone made his involvement clear.

In keeping bail at $500,000, the judge agreed with prosecutors and said it was clear that Ren was aware of the operation.

Jury selection is scheduled for Dec. 3, if the case remains in superior court.

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