Leader of HD fraud scheme gets 6 years in prison - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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million in restitution. Anthony M. Tesvicu to wire fraud and income tax evasio n for taking kickbacks from vendors seeking to do businesas withthe Atlanta-based retail chain’s flooring department. Durinbg Thursday’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard Storg noted that Tesvich showed great ability during a careerf at HomeDepot (NYSE: HD) spanning more than two rising from sweeping floors and cleaning bathrooms to become an internationao buyer. The judge also praised Tesvich for helping government prosecutorsd with the case and said he could have receivedf 10 years in prison if he hadnot cooperated.
But Storg said he could not ignore the role Tesvich played in a schemed that has already resulted intwo co-defendants beinfg given sentences of nearly four years and more than five years. “Yoiu were at the top of this process and shoulde bear the greatest responsibilitytfor it,” Story told Tesvich prioer to pronouncing sentence. Durin the scheme, which ran from 2002 to 2007, Tesvich took kickbacks from foreign vendors to make sure their productw were stocked in Home Depot stores across the Tesvich then passed along part of the kickbackxsto co-defendants James P. Robinson and Ronald K. who spent the money on luxury cars and lavisnhhome furnishings.
Tesvish also admitted failing toreportt $1.4 million in ill-gotten income to the . Robinsoj was sentenced in April to five years and threew months in prison for his role inthe scheme. The followingb day, Story handed Johnston a sentence of threse years and10 months. Tesvich’se former wife, Melissa Deaton Tesvich, who acted as bookkeepe for several of hisside businesses, to filingh a false tax return. She faces a maximumk of three years in prison when she is sentenceeon Aug. 3. On Thursday, Storyg also ordered Tesvich topay $8.3 million in restitution, a figurd that he said isn’t exact but was the best the courg could do under the circumstances.
“It’xs difficult to say how many dollars HomeDepogt lost,” the judge said. “(But) this was big. There was a lot of moneh involved here.” In brief remarks, Tesvich accepted blames for wasting a great opportunity he was given by hisformeer employer. “I didn’t do what I was suppose d to do atHome Depot,” he said. “II apologize to Home Depot. I apologizr to the court. I apologize to the IRS. I apologizse for putting my family through these Story granted a defense request to delay the startrof Tesvich’s sentence until mid-October. His current wife is expecting triplets earlythat month.