A 28-year-old Federal Way man on Monday pleaded guilty in Hartford, Connecticut, federal court to fraud and identity theft offenses stemming from a credit card fraud scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately December 2016 and February 2017, Elijah Chin was involved in a scheme in which credit card accounts were opened electronically using personal identifying information from Connecticut residents. After the credit card issuers mailed credit cards to the victims’ home addresses, Chin took the cards directly from the victims’ mailboxes and then used the credit cards to purchase gift cards, prepaid cards and other items totaling $63,941.60 at various retail establishments in Connecticut.

The Wilton Police Department arrested Chin on related state charges on February 22, 2017. At the time of his arrest, Chin possessed numerous fraudulently issued credit cards, prepaid cards purchased with the fraudulently obtained credit cards and mail addressed to Connecticut residents.

Chin pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of aggravated identity theft, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of two years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on July 23.

The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Wilton Police Department and Ridgefield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.