DOJ charges second Home Depot worker in kickbacks scheme
Industrial Distribution staff -- Industrial Distribution, 6/13/2008 8:24:00 AM
The federal Department of Justice charged former Home Depot manager James P. Robinson with two counts of income tax evasion and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in an alleged kickbacks scheme involving foreign flooring products vendors.Robinson, 43, is accused of taking illegal payments from overseas flooring suppliers in return for putting their goods up for sale at HD “on less than the most advantageous terms to the company,” the Justice Department said in a statement. Home Depot, which is cooperating with federal investigators, fired Robinson in July 2007.
Another former employee, Anthony Tesvich, was charged last week with similar offenses for his alleged masterminding of the scheme. Tesvich is accused of passing along hundreds of thousands in cash and valuable items (including a luxury SUV) to Robinson from the alleged millions he received from foreign suppliers.
“[Robinson] is the second person who has been charged with taking secret payoffs from Home Depot's foreign suppliers and then not reporting or paying taxes on that corrupt income. Vendor kickbacks to corporate employees corrupt the honest operations of American businesses, and those who pay, receive, or solicit such payoffs may face federal prosecution,” U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said.
Robinson was also charged with evading federal taxes on the alleged $765,879 he received from Tesvich, who is scheduled to plead guilty June 30.
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