Jail-time for HD kickback artists

Two of the three former Home Depot buyers who pled guilty to accepting bribes in an elaborate vendor kickback scheme from 2002 to 2007 received federal prison sentences this month. Ronald Johnston, the company’s global product merchant for rugs, was sentenced to serve three years, 10 months and ordered to pay $1.7 million to Home Depot in restitution.

Johnston, age 37, also agreed to forfeit more than $219,376 in personal items, $135,119 in cash, plus an additional $390,000 stemming from kickbacks taken from foreign suppliers during his employment at Home Depot. Some of these funds are the proceeds from the sale of a Marietta, Ga., home renovated with bribe money, according to charges by U.S. attorney David Nahmias.

James Robinson, a former divisional merchandise manager for hard flooring at Home Depot, received the longer sentence of the two. Robinson was sentenced to serve five years, three months in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay $1.1 million in restitution to Home Depot and forfeit more than $575,000, two houses and two vehicle connected to his criminal conviction.

Both men pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax evasion.

A third figure in the kickback scheme, former Home Depot global product development merchant Anthony Tesvich, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11. The case took place in U.S. District Court in Atlanta.