"I'm broke and don't have the BTC otherwise I would have given it to you already, here's an Apple gift card for $477 and the remainder is still on this other card here." -- something like what the scammer said.
The author after that quote:
"He wanted to give my my cards back but I tried for years to get rid of them so I say he can sell them and give me the BTC. Which he did and our deal was finally forfilled."
I wonder if the bitcoins he sent to the author in return for the cards were actually scammed from another unwitting party?