Man defrauded Amazon of nearly $300k in return scheme, DOJ says

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A Charlotte, North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, executing a return scheme that defrauded Amazon of at least $290,000, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Hudson Hamrick, 31, faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set. 

Prosecutors said Hamrick made more than 300 fraudulent transactions between October 2016 and some time last year. According to charging documents, Hamrick ordered expensive products — such as electronics, guitars, tools, computers and other high-end consumer products — from Amazon, filed a return and received a full refund. 

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Hamrick received bogus refunds on the return of more than 270 products, about 250 of which were worth significantly less than what he initially ordered, court documents state.

If he didn’t initiate a return, Hamrick would seek a concession by claiming to have never received the product or that it arrived broken, necessitating a replacement, prosecutors said.

In making the announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer commended the FBI for their investigation of the case, and thanked Amazon for their cooperation in the investigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.