New Jersey Man Charged in $24,000 Home Depot Fraud Scheme in Delaware

State of DE - Delaware State Police have arrested a New Jersey man following a months-long investigation into identity theft at Home Depot stores. Christian Pacheco, 31, of Perth Amboy, faces multiple felony charges connected to the case. The investigation was initiated in October 2025 after a corporate investigator reported fraudulent activity to the Troop 2 Financial Crimes Unit.

Detectives discovered a consistent pattern of fraud that occurred between August and September 2025. Pacheco allegedly visited various Home Depot locations across Delaware on 28 separate occasions.

During these visits, he told store employees that he had forgotten his credit card. He then provided a social security number belonging to a legitimate cardholder to access the accounts.

Police stated that Pacheco presented fraudulent identification cards to complete the transactions. These cards displayed his photograph but contained the personal information of the victims. In total, more than $24,000 in fraudulent purchases were made using these stolen identities.

Authorities identified Pacheco as the primary suspect and obtained warrants for his arrest. He was taken into custody at a New Jersey airport on January 5, 2026. He was subsequently extradited to Delaware on January 29, 2026, where he was processed at Troop 2.

Pacheco faces numerous charges, including 28 counts of felony identity theft and 28 counts of second-degree forgery.

Additional charges include unlawful use of a payment card involving victims over the age of 62, conspiracy, and theft. He was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 and released after posting a $63,750 cash bond.

Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.