Gift card draining is a form of organized retail crime in which criminals steal the value that customers load onto gift cards. Criminals remove cards from store display racks and record the account number and PIN concealed beneath each card’s protective sticker. They then reseal the cards and return them to the rack so they appear untouched. The criminals track the compromised cards and, once a customer buys a card and loads money onto it, they use the stolen number and PIN to drain the balance electronically, often within minutes and before the shopper has even left the store.

The investigation began in June 2026 after the Walgreens Major Crimes Investigative Team alerted special agents with TX FCIC Gulf Coast Field Operations to tampered gift cards found on store shelves in Willis. Walgreens also provided photos of the suspect and the white Lexus NX he was driving.

Working with retail partners, TX FCIC special agents identified additional suspects and a second vehicle, a white Mercedes C300, connected to the scheme. On June 26, 2026, TX FCIC and the Sugar Land Police Department arrested two suspects after observing them place tampered gift cards at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores in Sugar Land.

In July 2026, investigators learned the suspect driving the white Lexus NX had expanded the scheme to retail locations in Arkansas. TX FCIC worked with retail partners, including Walgreens, Target, Walmart, CVS, Albertsons, and Dollar Tree, to confirm the activity and remove tampered cards from store shelves. The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office and the Willis Police Department are pursuing separate charges related to alleged fraud in their jurisdictions.

On August 24, 2026, TX FCIC special agents and the Tyler Police Department arrested a third suspect after observing him place tampered gift cards at Walmart and Walgreens stores in Tyler. Investigators also found bundles of tampered cards intended for other stores in his vehicle. Investigators later executed a search warrant at a nearby hotel, where they arrested a fourth suspect and found hundreds of additional tampered gift cards and tampering tools.

Investigators say the suspects used a coordinated scheme to avoid detection. Gift cards were stolen from store shelves and compromised in a hotel room or residence, where the security scratch-off coating was peeled back to record each card’s activation code and serial number. The cards were then resealed and returned to store shelves. Once a customer purchased and activated a tampered card, the suspects, who already had the activation code, immediately drained the balance electronically, leaving the customer with nothing.

All four suspects were charged with fraudulent use, possession, or tampering with gift card data, a first-degree felony under Texas Penal Code § 32.56.

The following individuals were arrested:

Arrested with the Sugar Land Police Department – June 26, 2026

Arrested with the Tyler Police Department – August 24, 2026

Evidence recovered during the investigation included the following tampered gift cards and tampering tools:

“Make no mistake: this was a coordinated, multi-state criminal enterprise, not a series of isolated thefts. Crews like this treat our stores as a marketplace and our residents as easy targets. The Texas FCIC exists to change that math, and anyone running this scheme in our state should expect the same outcome: identification, arrest, and felony charges,” said TX FCIC Director Adam Colby.

Consumers can help protect themselves from gift card tampering by choosing cards from a secure, sealed display; checking that the PIN and barcode have not been scratched or exposed; and asking a cashier to verify the card’s balance before leaving the store. Consumers should report suspicious cards to the retailer and to local law enforcement.

The investigation, launched in December 2025, led TX FCIC special agents to a San Antonio-area short-term rental property where Broinas was manufacturing and deploying skimming devices. While executing a search warrant, investigators seized more than 240 skimming devices, 773 re-encoded payment cards, 12 fraudulent identification documents and passports bearing multiple identities, counterfeit card-making equipment, and approximately $6,000 in cash. A subsequent forensic review of the evidence identified hundreds of victims.

“Behind every financial crime is a Texan whose personal information, financial security, or peace of mind has been compromised. Protecting the public from sophisticated criminal operations like this one is at the heart of our mission,” said Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center Director Adam Colby. “These convictions demonstrate our commitment, alongside our law enforcement partners, to safeguard everyday Texans.”

Broinas plead guilty in Bexar County to unlawful interception, use, or disclosure of wire, oral, or electronic communications, in violation of Texas Penal Code 16.02.

The investigation was conducted by TX FCIC with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Bexar County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. TX FCIC also coordinated with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which lodged an immigration detainer on Broinas while he was held at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. According to ICE, Broinas does not have lawful immigration status in the United States and will face federal immigration proceedings after completing his state prison sentence.

Consumers can help protect themselves from skimming by inspecting card readers before use, covering the keypad when entering a PIN, monitoring account activity regularly, and promptly reporting suspicious transactions to their financial institution. Anyone who suspects a debit or credit card skimmer should report it to the business where the card reader is located and to local law enforcement.

All inspection-related communications generated through the new system will be sent from:

noreply@field2base.com

Please be aware that you may begin receiving inspection notifications, correspondence, or other inspection-related communications from this email address. Please add the email address to your safe-sender or approved email list and check your spam or junk folder to ensure you receive important inspection communications.

Please note: Emails from noreply@field2base.com are official TDLR Field Inspections Division communications.

If you have any questions regarding this change, you may reach out to a member of the Field Inspections Team via email at Inspectionrequest@tdlr.texas.gov. 

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Field Inspections Division

What are the proposed rule changes?

The proposed rule changes:

• update the advisory board rules by grouping the existing separate rules into one new rule, by citing to the statutes instead of repeating the text of the statutes, and by implementing the changes made by SB 2075;
• clarify what activities and courses may receive continuing education credit;
• update the continuing education hours that licensed dietitians may receive for publishing books or journal articles;
• require licensed dietitians to complete three hours of continuing education relating to metabolic health, ultra-processed foods, or topics recommended by the new Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee for any license renewal on or after January 1, 2027;
• include human trafficking prevention training as a course that may receive continuing education credit;
• reflect that the continuing education audit rules under 16 TAC, Chapter 60 apply to licensed dietitians;
• reword and re-organize continuing education rules so they are easier to read, and;
• repeal outdated and redundant continuing education rules.

When and where can I review the proposed rule changes?

The proposed rule changes will be published in the Proposed Rules section of the Texas Register on September 18, 2026. To locate these proposed rule changes on or after that date just follow these steps:

1. Click this link to the Texas Register.
2. Select html or pdf format for the “Current Issue” if the date shown is the date published, or under “Previous Issues” if more than a week has passed since publication. (The Texas Register is published each Friday.)
3. Scroll down and click on “Proposed Rules.”
4. Look for the heading “Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation” and click the subheading “Dietitians.”

How and where can I submit comments and information on the proposed rule changes?

Comments and information on the proposed rule changes may be submitted online; by facsimile to (512) 475-3032; or by mail to Shamica Mason, Legal Assistant, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, P.O. Box 12157, Austin, Texas 78711.

Any information that is submitted must include an explanation of how and why the submitted information is specific to the proposed rule changes. Please do not submit copyrighted, confidential, or proprietary information.

The Department will accept comments and information on the proposed rule changes until October 19, 2026.

Spanish Language Summary

The adoption justification was published in the August 28, 2026, issue of the Texas Register (51 TexReg 5776).  The updated rule chapter will be available in the Texas Administrative Code upon its effective date of September 1, 2026.

The adopted rules update the codes adopted by reference from the 2021 editions to the 2024 editions of the International Residential Code, International Mechanical Code, International Fuel Gas Code, and Uniform Mechanical Code; remove obsolete provisions related to the certified technician legacy designation; clarify certified technician examination eligibility requirements; and update references to Texas Education Agency rules.

The adoption justification was published in the August 28, 2026, issue of the Texas Register (51 TexReg 5778).  The updated rule chapter will be available in the Texas Administrative Code upon its effective date of September 1, 2026.

The adopted rules implement Senate Bill 968, 89^th Legislature, Regular Session (2025), which repealed unique training requirements for members of the Podiatric Medical Examiners Advisory Board; replaced references to “temporary residency licenses” with “residency licenses”; and repealed provisional licenses.

The adoption justification was published in the August 28, 2026, issue of the Texas Register (51 TexReg 5791).  The updated rule chapter will be available in the Texas Administrative Code upon its effective date of September 1, 2026.

The adopted amendments implement Senate Bill 2443, 89th Legislature, Regular Session (2025), and modernize the delivery of contested case pleadings, notices, and orders by allowing applicants and license holders to be served electronically under certain conditions. The adopted rules additionally provide for electronic notice of dishonored payments.

The adoption justification was published in the August 28, 2026, issue of the Texas Register (51 TexReg 5773). The updated rule chapter will be available in the Texas Administrative Code upon its effective date of September 1, 2026.

The adopted amendments implement Senate Bill 2443, 89th Legislature, Regular Session (2025), and modernize the delivery of contested case pleadings, notices, and orders by allowing applicants and license holders to be served electronically under certain conditions. The adopted rules additionally provide for electronic notice of dishonored payments.

The adoption justification was published in the August 28, 2026, issue of the Texas Register (51 TexReg 5773). The updated rule chapter will be available in the Texas Administrative Code upon its effective date of September 1, 2026.

The adopted rules implement Senate Bill (SB) 904 and SB 2075, 89th Legislature, Regular Session (2025), and update and clarify existing rules. The adopted rules remove the requirement that three advisory board members’ six-year terms all expire on February 1 of odd numbered years; extend the advisory board presiding officer’s term from one year to two years; require first-time renewal applicants for a hearing instrument fitter and dispenser license to complete 20 hours of continuing education; remove the exception that allowed license renewal for licensees who did not meet the continuing education requirements during their first 24 months of licensure; update and clarify the rules regarding the sale of hearing instruments; and add a provision that allows hearing instruments to be sold to a minor with a written statement from any licensed physician, not just a physician specializing in diseases of the ear.

The adoption justification was published in the August 28, 2026, issue of the Texas Register (51 TexReg 5787).  The updated rule chapter will be available in the Texas Administrative Code upon its effective date of September 1, 2026.