Atlanta Man Second Charged in HD Kickback Scheme

Atlanta, GA, June 13, 2008--An Atlanta man is the second person charged in an alleged kickback scheme involving oveseas flooring suppliers for Home Depot, according to the Department of Justice.

James P. Robinson, 43, was charged with two counts of income tax evasion and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud against Home Depot.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said, "This defendant 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."

According to United States Attorney Nahmias, Robinson, a former divisional merchandising manager for flooring, allegedly participated in a conspiracy to defraud Home Depot by taking kickbacks from foreign suppliers seeking to do business with Home Depot.

Robinson allegedly arranged for Home Depot to purchase items for resale on less than the most advantageous terms to the company.

Another former Home Depot employee, Anthony Tesvich, who was charged last week with similar offenses for his participation in this scheme to defraud Home Depot, allegedly received millions of dollars in bribes from foreign suppliers and passed on to Robinson through kickbacks hundreds of thousands of dollars and other items of value, including a luxury SUV. Home Depot fired Robinson in July 2007.