Former owner of OKC gift card store sentenced for defrauding retailers out of millions of dollars

The former owner of an Oklahoma City gift card store was sentenced Wednesday to more than 15 years in federal prison for defrauding Lowe's and other retailers out of millions of dollars.

Leonard Ray Foster, 48, of Moore, was ordered to pay more than $7 million in restitution to various retailers.

Foster, who owned A-to-Z Giftcards, directed numerous customers to shoplift high-dollar items from retailers, according to Oklahoma City federal prosecutors.

The thieves later returned the stolen merchandise without a receipt, prosecutors alleged. In exchange, unsuspecting store clerks gave the thieves store value cards, according to prosecutors.