Man arraigned for defrauding Home Depot in multiple states

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — United States Attorney Zachary Cunha said Wednesday that a Connecticut man was arraigned in connection to a scheme to defraud Home Depot locations in several states, including Rhode Island.

Alexandre Henrique Costa-Mota was accused of performing non-receipted return fraud at Home Depots in primarily in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, but also in Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.

Cunha said that between June 2021 and February 2022 the 26-year-old allegedly would enter the stores dressed as a contractor, collect Anderson doors from inside the store, and then returned them at the service desk for store credit.

Cunha added that if Costa-Mota was refused a receiptless return, he would exit the store with the doors and return them at another location.

Costa-Mota is alleged to have received approximately 370 fraudulent store credits, valued at $297,332.

He was charged with wire fraud and conspiracy and was ordered detained after his arraignment.