For a limited time only, you can get a $439 20 volt cordless finish nail gun for only $19.98 at the Home Depot! Just kidding, you can't actually- because that would, in effect, be stealing. Which is exactly what one Maine man is being charged with after nearly two years of allegedly defrauding Home Depot stores around Maine.

jacob-rice, Unsplash
jacob-rice, Unsplash
loading...

According to WGME 13, the ongoing fraud, which started back in June of 2021, had been going on for nearly two years before officials caught on to what was happening. The article says that the defrauding of products from Maine Home Depot stores had been happening since June of 2021. That's when police say 51-year-old, Aaron D Hoster of Madison, began a string of more than 135 fraudulent purchases from the tool and lumber giant.

oxana melis, Unsplash
oxana melis, Unsplash
loading...

The news station is reporting that Hoster switched tags on everything from nail guns and vacuum cleaners to chainsaws and leaf blowers. However, officials say the most expensive item was $1,229.00.

oxana melis, Unsplash
oxana melis, Unsplash
loading...

WGME reports that Hoster would allegedly take the price stickers off of significantly cheaper items, place them on the expensive items, and then scan himself out at the self-checkout line at various Home Depot locations.

oxana melis, Unsplash
oxana melis, Unsplash
loading...

WGME is reporting that, due to an order from a judge, Hoster is currently being held without bail on the charges. Those charges, which haven't all been disclosed yet and are mostly federal, carry with them a penalty of 20 years in jail and nearly a quarter of a million dollars in fines.

oxana-melis, Unsplash
oxana-melis, Unsplash
loading...

WGME went on to say in part,

Hoster made his first court appearance last week in U.S. District Court in Bangor. He was not asked to enter pleas to the charges as he has not yet been indicted by a federal grand jury.

This is a developing story and we will continue to keep it updated as more information becomes available to us.

10 Maine Towns With Dirty Sounding Names

Bring your mind directly into the gutter as we roll through 10 Maine towns that have the dirtiest sounding names whether they're intentional or not.

More From 92 Moose