Defendants Stole $1M In 'Ticket Switching' Scheme: Feds

WOODSTOCK, GA — Two Atlanta men were sentenced on Monday in what federal prosecutors called a "ticket-switching scheme" carried out at two home improvement stores. Charles Blackman — also known as Ralph Jones — and Quinton Williams were sentenced to federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Georgia said.

U.S. Attorney BJay Pak said both men defrauded The Home Depot and Lowe's of items valued at more than $300,000 and $1 million, respectively.

"Security measures at The Home Depot helped uncover and stop this scheme before they could steal more," he said. "It is unfortunate that the consumer pays the cost of these elaborate schemes in a higher cost of goods."

According to warrants obtained by the Woodstock Police Department in September 2017, the defendants carried out their crimes between November 2016 and September 2017 at Home Depot at 9037 Highway 92 and Lowe's at 575 Molly Lane.

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According to prosecutors, the defendants allegedly changed or switched out the prices of merchandise by changing the Universal Product Code so they could be purchased items at a lower price. They would then return those same items for the actual retail price, which was higher. They also used fake identities and false information to carry out their crimes, which was designed to cheat both stores "out of the hundreds of thousands of dollars to be made on the price difference after returning the merchandise," prosecutors state.

Blackman, 58, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison. That will be followed by two years of supervised release. He's also ordered to pay $1.26 million in restitution to The Home Depot and Lowe's. Williams, 52, was sentenced to time served in prison, but will remain on probation for two years. He's also required to pay $269,515 in restitution to The Home Depot.

The Woodstock Police Department and Cherokee County District Attorney's Office assisted in the U.S. Secret Service's investigation into the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra J. Schansman prosecuted the case.

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