Posted on August 26, 2010 by Anthony Lake

Former Home Depot Employee Ian Jay Evans Acquitted on Conspiracy and Money Laundering Charges for Alleged Kickback Scheme

Ian Jay Evans of Mableton, Georgia, a former Home Depot employee, admitted to splittting  $1.4 million in commissions with a product buyer for Home Depot, first to purchase rugs and other products from a vendor, and later to select Evans as a consolidator for rugs when Home Depot reset its rug department. He was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to commit money laundering and 17 counts of money laundering. However, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, after a week long trial, the jury acquitted Evans on all charges yesterday after deliberating for approximately 30 minutes.

Evans and his counsel argued that, even if the payments violated Home Depot policy, they did not constitute a federal offense. Evans attorney argued that, despite any alleged conduct by Evans, Home Depot did not lose any money but, on the contrary, made millions from the transaction.The Home Depot product buyer, Ronald Douglass Matheny, pled guilty to honest services fraud last year.

Evans' case is one of several against Home Depot employees for alleged kickbacks. A Home Depot spokesman stated that the company is considering filing a civil action against Evans.
 

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Posted on July 13, 2008 by Thomas Withers

Another Home Depot Manager Pleads Guilty in Atlanta

A second Home Depot Manager, James P. Robinson, pleaded guilty in federal court in Atlanta on Friday to three counts of a criminal Information charging him with: 1) one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud while he was Divisional Merchandising Manager for flooring by taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in secret payoffs from Anthony Tesvich, a former Home Depot employee who has already pled guilty, and 2) two counts of tax evasion for failing to pay taxes on those secret payoffs. Robinson has also agreed to forfeit substantial properties, including real estate in Tennessee, a 2006 Infiniti SUV, a 2004 Cadillac Escalade and $146,000.00 in a bank account.

The charging document refers to another as yet uncharged co-conspirator and refers to other co-conspirators as well, so look for at least one more guilty plea to arise out of this investigation.

Robinson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 14, 2008, as is his co-defendant Tesvich.

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Posted on July 3, 2008 by Thomas Withers

Home Depot Employee Pleads Guilty in Massive Scheme

Anthony Tesvich, a former Home Depot employee, plead guilty in front of Judge Story in Atlanta on Monday to one count of conspiring to defraud Home Depot, and three counts of tax evasion. As part of his plea, Tesvich admitted to taking millions of dollars in secret payoffs from Home Depot vendors and failing to pay taxes on those kickbacks.

The lengthy Criminal Information, available here, alleges that Tesvich conspired with two other Home Depot employees, identified only as co-conspirators A and B, to obtain kickbacks from Home Depot suppliers through various front companies and then paid monies to his Home Depot co-conspirators for the purpose of concealing the receipt of those kickbacks.

Yesterday, July 2, Tesvich forfeited his interest in the following properties.

  • $465,999 .69 in proceeds from the consent sale of 90C Carriage Path, S .E ., Smyrna, Cobb County, Georgia;
  • 1E255 Mountain View Road, Desert Hot Springs, Riverside County, California, and all buildings and appurtenances thereon;
  • Twenty (20) Acres of Vacant Land, Parcel Number 657-270-023-6, Riverside County, California, and all buildings and appurtenances thereon;
  • 600 Schillinger Road N., Serrsnes, Mobile County, Alabama, and all buildings and appurtenances thereon;
  • 1916 Wildwood Place, Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, and all buildings and appurtenances thereon; and
  • $122,971 .75 in proceeds from the consent sale of Lot 43, Heron Lakes, Phase T, Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama.

Tesvich, who is cooperating with the government will be sentenced on September 2, 2008. Based on the government filings to date, other cases will arise out of Tesvich’s cooperation.

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