Macon Man Arraigned for $800,000 Home Depot Equipment Theft Scheme

Macon resident Yasin Saleem, 45, was arraigned on federal charges of conspiracy and wire fraud for allegedly defrauding Home Depot of more than $800,000. Prosecutors claim Saleem, along with other unnamed conspirators, used fake driver’s licenses and fraudulent debit cards to exploit vulnerabilities in Home Depot’s equipment and tool rental service.

“Saleem and a crew of conspirators allegedly exploited Home Depot’s rental service by stealing over $800,000,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is committed to working with law enforcement to disrupt these criminal schemes.”

Federal authorities allege Saleem and his co-conspirators presented fictitious IDs to conceal their identities during equipment rentals and used debit cards with account names matching the fake licenses. According to the charges, the debit cards carried minimal funds necessary to initiate the rental transactions but were insufficient to cover the cost of unreturned equipment. Prosecutors further allege that the conspirators disabled GPS trackers on the equipment to evade detection and used stolen license plates.

The alleged scheme highlights the financial threat of organized retail crime, stated Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This indictment underscores the importance of strong collaboration between the FBI and private-sector partners.”

Saleem was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 25, 2024, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Christopher C. Bly on October 25, 2024. The FBI is conducting the ongoing investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber is prosecuting the case.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains charges, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.