On 1/29/2025, a detective from the NPD observed two men, later identified as Kirils Gula and Maksims Slapins, acting suspiciously at a Walgreens store. The two were seen near the gift card rack, seemingly trying to conceal something. After leaving the store, they proceeded to a Publix, where they parked in a low visibility parking spot and entered/exited without making any purchases. The detective continued following them as they went to another Walgreens, where they once again entered/exited the store without buying anything.

Noting that the vehicle's tag had expired, the detective conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. When Gula was asked for identification, he initially claimed not to have any, stating he had been in the U.S. for 30 days and hadn’t yet obtained a driver’s license. However, it was later determined that he had been in the U.S. for four months. Gula provided a Latvian passport, and Gula consented to a search of his vehicle.

During the search, the detective discovered multiple gift cards in the center console, along with receipts showing they were purchased with other debit cards. A cooler bag was also found in the vehicle containing 176 gift cards, valued at approximately $15,000. Each gift card was labeled with an address, indicating the location of where the cards were stolen.

Both Gula and Slapins confessed to their involvement in a larger fraud scheme. Gula explained that he had been instructed to steal gift cards from stores all over Florida, from Miami to Tampa, and even Jacksonville. The stolen cards were to be used for a scheme where fraudulent barcodes would be placed on them and then the cards would be returned to the store they were initially stolen from and placed back on the racks. If/when unsuspecting customers purchased and activated the tampered cards, the funds for the gift card would be redirected to the crime syndicate’s bank account instead. The two were arrested and charged with Scheme to Defraud and Conspiracy to Commit Fraud, with Gula facing an additional charge for driving without a license.