The three men are alleged to have stolen nearly $50,000 of merchandise.
EVERETT, Wash. — Three men who allegedly stole nearly $50,000 of merchandise from Home Depot locations in western Washington have been charged by Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Organized Retail Crime Unit.
In a release, it announced that Volodymyr Tsuman and Leonid Trotskovets were charged with first-degree organized retail theft, while Volodymyr’s brother Veniamen Tsuman was charged with second-degree organized retail theft.
Prosecutors say the three men used a “double-dipping” scheme where they purchased products for their home improvement business and then went back to those stores with the receipts to steal additional items using their original receipts.
If stopped by employees, the men would show their receipt from the original purchase and exit the store with the unpaid merchandise. Prosecutors say in other thefts, the men would use pick-up paperwork from one location to steal similar merchandise at …