Former Home Depot Employee Sentenced for $4 Million Gift Card Fraud Scheme
ATLANTA — A former Home Depot employee has been sentenced to federal prison after orchestrating a multi-million-dollar gift card fraud scheme that netted more than $4 million.
Felecia Ingram, 53, of Covington, Georgia, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr. to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $3,946,776 in restitution to The Home Depot.
According to federal prosecutors, Ingram pleaded guilty to access device fraud on May 1, 2025.
Scheme Exploited Internal Access
Investigators said Ingram worked as a gift card sales associate at The Home Depot Store Support Center beginning in 2008. Between March 2020 and July 2021, while many employees were working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, she used her facility access to steal more than 8,000 physical gift cards.
Prosecutors said Ingram then used her company network credentials to activate the stolen cards by creating false corporate gift card orders, making them appear legitimate.
After activation, she allegedly deleted the fraudulent orders to conceal the thefts and sold the cards on the black market, using the proceeds to fund what authorities described as an extravagant gambling lifestyle.
“While employed at The Home Depot, the defendant abused the trust placed in her and stole a staggering $4 million from the company,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “She engaged in a calculated scheme that involved entering false gift card orders, which she later deleted to cover her tracks.”
Fraud Discovered Internally
The Home Depot uncovered the scheme after its gift card team detected discrepancies in ledger balances. Investigators determined Ingram had stolen approximately 8,325 gift cards valued at $4,085,043 in less than 18 months.
“Exploiting her position for personal gain, this criminal thought she could use her knowledge of her employer’s business practices to conceal a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme,” said Robert Donovan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, with assistance and cooperation from The Home Depot. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen H. McClain prosecuted the case.
