PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Connecticut man was given almost $300,000 in fraudulent House Depot credit score by strolling into shops in a number of states, taking costly doorways, after which returning them with no receipt, federal prosecutors allege.
Alexandre Henrique Costa-Mota, 26, of West Hartford, Connecticut, was detained with out bail after a decide entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf this week in a Rhode Island federal courtroom. Costa-Mota is going through prices of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the U.S. lawyer’s workplace in Windfall mentioned in a press release Wednesday.
An electronic mail in search of remark was left with Costa-Mota’s lawyer.
Costa-Mota dressed to seem like a contractor and entered the shops empty-handed, prosecutors allege in courtroom paperwork. He would then load a door or a number of doorways, value tons of of {dollars} every, onto a lumber cart, then take them to the service division and return them with no receipt, authorities mentioned.
He was given a retailer credit score within the type of playing cards that he later redeemed at different shops, prosecutors mentioned.
If the return was denied, he would take the doorways with out paying and return them at one other retailer, prosecutors mentioned.
House Depot shops in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey have been concerned. Costa-Mota was given about 370 fraudulent retailer credit between June 2021 and February 2022, prosecutors mentioned.
House Depot’s coverage is to permit clients to return gadgets with no receipt, however the dwelling enchancment chain has safeguards in place which are supposed to forestall folks from taking benefit, together with asking for identification that requires third-party verification, in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
On this case, the defendant apparently used his personal driver’s license as soon as, then used a number of fraudulent licenses with different names, to conduct the opposite returns, courtroom data say.
In keeping with House Depot’s web site, “We require a sound driver’s license or government-issued picture identification for non-receipted returns and returns generated from purchases made with retailer credit. The House Depot makes use of a third-party refund verification system. All returns are topic to verification system approval.”
A voicemail and an electronic mail in search of remark have been left with House Depot.
