MACON, Ga. — A 45-year-old Georgia man has been arraigned on federal charges in connection to defrauding Home Depot of over $800,000.
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Yasin Saleem, 45, of Macon, has been charged with conspiracy and wire fraud. The charges stem from Saleem and his co-conspirators allegedly using fake driver’s licenses to hide their true identities from Home Depot to steal equipment and tool rentals.
According to the US Department of Justice, they also used debit cards with account holder names matching the fake licenses for the rentals. Those debit cards were frequently issued before their use in the scheme and carried a minimal amount of money to commit fraud.
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The DOJ said the co-conspirators then failed to return the rented equipment and tools and the phony debit cards did not carry enough money to replace the stolen materials. Saleem and his co-conspirators allegedly broke the GPS devices attached to the rental equipment to avoid detection. They also allegedly used stolen license plates to conceal their involvement in the scheme.
In total, Saleem and his co-conspirators allegedly stole more than $800,000 worth of equipment from Home Depot.
Saleem was indicted on June 25. He was arraigned on Friday.
“Saleem’s retail theft scheme not only resulted in substantial financial loss for Home Depot but highlights the complex and widespread nature of organized retail crime,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.
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