Woman pleads no contest in $300K retail fraud scheme

(The Center Square) – A Georgia woman accused of leading a scheme to defraud retailers of up to $300,000 through fake refunds entered a plea of no contest, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday.

Santina Green, of Decatur, Georgia, entered a plea of no contest to racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and fraud charges.

More than $50,000 was stolen from stores located in Florida, according to the attorney general’s office. Green targeted TJX Companies Inc. stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods. Nine debit cards were linked to 84 fraudulent transactions in Florida.

Green was identified as the primary suspect and was linked to co-subjects Albert Junior Boyce, Jr., Diana Rochelle Harris, and David Lee Griffin.

The group’s scheme revolved around purchasing expensive area rugs valued between $400 and $1,000 and keeping the receipt after doing an immediate “change-of-mind” return. They would then use the receipt or a duplicate at other store locations to return lower-quality rugs they...