Federal prosecutors say man fraudulently returned doors at Home Depot to the tune of $300K

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island-based federal prosecutors say a Connecticut man defrauded The Home Depot to the tune of $297,332 in a scheme that involved seeking credit for unpurchased merchandise at service desks.

According to a news release from U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha's office, on July 26, a federal grand jury sitting in Providence returned an indictment charging the man with wire fraud and conspiracy.

A federal magistrate judge ordered him detained on Tuesday.

The targeted stores were primarily in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, but also in Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, says the release.

Officials say man returned unpurchased doors for store credit

Dressed to look like a contractor, the 26-year-old West Hartford man was empty-handed when he allegedly entered Home Depot stores in eight states, according to the release.

He then found Anderson-brand doors and brought them to the service desk, where he returned the Anderson products for store credit, even though he had not purchased the doors and he did not have a receipt, the release says.

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If his request for credit was denied, the man left the stores carrying the doors, without paying for them, say prosecutors.

After that, they say, the man returned the unpurchased doors for credit at other Home Depot stores.

He then made the fraudulent returns at more than two dozen Home Depot stores and he redeemed most of the in-store store credits at Home Depot stores in Connecticut, according to Cunha's office.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Fake returns at Home Depots stores netted CT man $300K, prosecutors say