Tracy A. James pleaded guilty to defrauding Home Depot of $266,699 using fake identities and counterfeit driver’s licenses, according to the Medina Township Police Department.
The alleged scheme involved more than 1,700 transactions at stores across Ohio and Kentucky between 2018 and 2026.
James was sentenced to 180 days in jail, five years of supervision, 100 hours of community service, and must repay the full amount stolen.
An Ohio woman has pleaded guilty to fraud after authorities accused her of using fake identities in multiple states to obtain more than $250,000 in store credit from Home Depot.
In a Wednesday, March 4 press release, the Medina Township Police Department said Tracy A. James, of Peebles, Ohio, pleaded guilty to telecommunications fraud, a second-degree felony, in the Medina County Court of Common Pleas on Feb. 27, 2026.
Investigators determined that James defrauded Home Depot of $266,699 between 2018 and 2026 through more than 1,700 transactions.
According to authorities, James used counterfeit driver’s licenses and aliases to obtain store credit by making fraudulent merchandise returns.
Police said she carried out the scheme at several Home Depot locations in Ohio and Kentucky, including stores in Medina, Wadsworth, Brunswick, Miamisburg, and Milford. Officials did not confirm whether the operation extended to other states.
After receiving the store credit, James reportedly purchased items and later resold the products online.
Investigators presented the case to the Medina County Prosecutor’s Office, which indicted James on a single charge of telecommunications fraud.
After pleading guilty, she was sentenced to 180 days in the Medina County Jail, followed by five years of community control supervision and 100 hours of community service. She must also pay restitution of $266,699 to Home Depot.
Authorities said an alleged accomplice, April Mathis, also from Peebles, turned herself in on Thursday, March 5. She was later released on her own recognizance and placed under house arrest.
Mathis is expected to face a jury trial scheduled for June 1.
Officials said they had not released additional information about the case.
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