Felecia Ingram, a former gift card sales associate at The Home Depot, has been sentenced to over three years in federal prison for stealing more than $4 million in company gift cards. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Ingram used her access credentials between March 2020 and July 2021 to take more than 8,000 physical gift cards from the company’s Store Support Center.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg stated, “While employed at The Home Depot, the defendant abused the trust placed in her and stole a staggering $4 million from the company. She engaged in a calculated scheme that involved entering false gift card orders, which she later deleted to cover her tracks. She has now been sentenced to federal prison to pay for her deceit.” Hertzberg serves as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia and leads an office that acts as the main federal law enforcement agency in a region serving about 7.5 million residents across north Georgia, including Atlanta and its suburbs (official website).
Robert Donovan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Atlanta Field Office, said: “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. Thanks to the tireless work of our agents, cooperation from The Home Depot, and the skill of the prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she will spend the next three years in prison paying for her crimes.”
Court records show that after stealing thousands of gift cards during a period when many employees were working remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions, Ingram activated them by creating false orders suggesting they were used for legitimate corporate events. She then deleted these orders from internal systems to hide her actions and sold the cards on illicit markets. The money was mainly spent on gambling.
The Home Depot discovered discrepancies through its gift card team after noticing irregularities in ledger balances. An investigation revealed that Ingram had stolen approximately 8,325 cards worth more than $4 million within about eighteen months.
Ingram pleaded guilty to access device fraud on May 1, 2025. Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr. sentenced her to three years and one month in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered restitution totaling nearly $3.95 million.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service with assistance from The Home Depot staff and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen H. McClain.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office not only prosecutes criminal cases but also represents federal interests in civil matters while coordinating with law enforcement agencies nationwide (official website). For additional information about their work or public affairs contacts visit their website.
