An Arizona Home Depot employee is accused of stealing cash from the store and replacing the funds with counterfeit bills.
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Adrian Jean Pineda of Phoenix was arrested earlier this week after he was accused of buying counterfeit bills from Amazon and swapping the fake cash with revenue from the store and sealing the money in bags before it was transferred to the bank. Pineda worked as a vault employee at the store and his duties required him to count the cash then prepare it before it is deposited into the store’s bank account.
According to CNN, Home Depot noted $387,000 in losses due to counterfeit bills between January 2018 and January 2022. During an interview with the Secret Service, Pineda confessed to the crime and federal investigators seized $5,000 in counterfeit bills and $5,300 in genuine currency during his arrest. They also found an additional $22,000 in genuine currency at his home.
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Pineda is scheduled to appear for a status hearing in the District of Arizona Federal Courthouse on February 7.
“Yesterday’s arrest and search warrant operation marked the culmination of a strategic investigation enacted by Phoenix special agents, Home Depot security personnel, and Wells Fargo Bank. I’m extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of all involved and thank our partners for their commitment and vigilance,” said U.S. Secret Service Phoenix Field Office Special Agent in Charge Frank Boudreaux Jr.