A man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of participating in a scheme to defraud The Home Depot of more than $800,000.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, Yasin Saleem was arraigned on federal charges of conspiracy and wire fraud for being a part of the alleged fraud committed against the retailer. The accused and
his co-conspirators allegedly used fake driver’s licenses at The Home Depot to hide their identities while making purchases of equipment and tool rentals. They also used altered debit cards with fake account holder names that matched the fictitious licenses used in the scheme. The debit cards were often issued before being used in fraudulent sales and carried the minimal funds needed to commit the fraud.The alleged thieves then failed to return the rented equipment and tools, and the debit cards used did not have the necessary funds to complete the sale. Saleem and his co-conspirators allegedly disabled the GPS devices attached to the rental equipment to get away with the alleged crimes. They were also accused of allegedly using stolen license plates to hide their crimes. Saleem and his co-conspirators reportedly stole over $800,000 of equipment from The Home Depot.
“Saleem and a crew of conspirators allegedly used fictitious driver’s licenses and fraudulent debit cards to exploit vulnerabilities within Home Depot’s equipment and tool rental service by stealing more than $800,000,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan in a written statement. “Our office is committed to partnering closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement investigators to disrupt these kinds of criminal schemes and to prosecute the individuals who perpetrate them at the expense of corporations.”
Saleem, 45, of Macon, Georgia, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 25 and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Christopher C. Bly on Oct. 25.
RELATED CONTENT: The Home Depot Awards HBCU Oakwood University With $50,000 Makeover