MOUNT OLIVE TOWNSHIP, NJ (Morris County) – A New York man is accused of purchasing Apple AirPods at a Walmart in Mount Olive Township, only to return counterfeit ones, according to police.
On November 8, 2024, at approximately 5:07 p.m., police responded to Walmart at 30 International Drive South in the Flanders section of the township for a report of a past-tense theft, police said.
Loss Prevention reported that two males had purchased Apple AirPods from Walmart, and shortly thereafter, one of the males returned the AirPods for a refund, police said.
Upon inspection, it was discovered that the packaging had been tampered with, and fake AirPods had been placed in the box in place of the legitimate product, according to police.
A detective conducted a follow-up investigation and was able to identify the male as Chen Linshan, 35, of Staten Island. A warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest on charges of theft by deception.
On March 5, 2025, Linshan turned himself in at police headquarters to face the warrant. He was charged with theft by deception and lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending a court appearance, police said.
