A woman in Ohio has been sentenced to jail after making more than 1,700 fraudulent returns at Home Depot stores across multiple states, totaling $266,699.
The Medina Township Police Department identified the suspect as Tracy A. James of Peebles, a village in Southwest Ohio. Investigators said James used fake driver’s licenses and multiple aliases to obtain store credit from fraudulent merchandise returns over several years, according to Cleveland 19 News.
The illegal transactions occurred at Home Depot locations in Brunswick, Medina, Miamisburg, Milford, Wadsworth, and several stores in Kentucky. Authorities reported that James then used the store credit to purchase merchandise she later resold online.
James was indicted by the Medina County prosecutor’s office on a single count of telecommunications fraud, a second-degree felony. She pleaded guilty on February 27.
The Medina County Court of Common Pleas sentenced James to five years of community control supervision, 180 days in the Medina County Jail, and 100 hours of community service. She is also required to pay Home Depot $266,699 in restitution.