Edina Man Charged with Felony Theft by Swindle After Alleged $7,700 Card-Loading Scheme at Vadnais Heights Walmart
Published: April 9th 2026
RAMSEY COUNTY MN: A 26-year-old Edina man has been charged in Ramsey County District Court with felony theft by swindle after a criminal complaint alleges he caused more than $7,700 to be loaded onto multiple debit and gift cards without payment at a Walmart in Vadnais Heights.
Harun Mahad Abdullahi (DOB: 12/19/1999) is charged with one count of theft by swindle under Minnesota Statute 609.52.2(a)(4), with reference to 609.52.3(2). The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, on April 6, 2026, Abdullahi went to the Walmart located at 850 County Road E East and approached a cashier about reloading Walmart gift cards. The employee told him she did not know how to complete the transaction and directed him to the store’s money services area.
The complaint states Abdullahi then instructed the cashier on how to perform the transactions, telling her he had done it before. He allegedly provided a debit card and directed the employee to enter an amount, select a cash payment option, and complete the transaction. The cashier followed those instructions and repeated the process using additional cards provided by Abdullahi.
The complaint allege’s Abdullahi did not provide any actual payment for the transactions. The employee later became suspicious and reported the incident to a supervisor.
According to the complaint, Abdullahi had the cashier load:
$3,011.22 onto a Chime debit card in his name
$1,507.48 onto a Varel Visa card in another individual’s name
$501 onto one Walmart gift card
$2,759 onto another Walmart gift card
Deputies responded to the store and made contact with Abdullahi, who was still inside. The complaint states he had gone to the money center and withdrawn $2,750 in cash from one of the Walmart gift cards.
Abdullahi was detained and allegedly denied stealing anything. Officers reported recovering $2,750 in cash along with the debit and gift cards involved in the transactions.
The complaint further alleges Abdullahi committed the offense while on diversion for a separate felony theft case in Hennepin County District Court (court file 27-CR-25-18434).
The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.