A former Home Depot employee has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for orchestrating a massive gift card theft scheme that totaled over $4 million.
Felecia Ingram, 53, of Covington, Georgia, worked as a gift card sales associate at Home Depot’s Store Support Center in Atlanta. Between March 2020 and July 2021, Ingram exploited her access to the company’s systems to steal approximately 8,325 gift cards valued at $4,085,043.
According to prosecutors, Ingram created fraudulent orders in Home Depot’s system to activate the stolen cards, then deleted the records to cover her tracks. She subsequently sold the activated cards on the black market, using the proceeds to fund an extravagant lifestyle, including extensive gambling.
The theft was eventually uncovered when Home Depot’s internal audit team noticed irregularities in gift card activity. The investigation, which involved the U.S. Secret Service, revealed the full scope of the scheme.
Ingram pleaded guilty to federal charges of access device fraud in May 2025. On February 26, 2026, she was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison. Additionally, she must serve three years of supervised release following her prison term and repay nearly $3.95 million in restitution to Home Depot.
This case serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities in corporate gift card programs and the importance of internal monitoring to prevent large-scale fraud.
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