Former Home Depot buyer sentenced to 6.5 years

Atlanta The former Home Depot flooring buyer who was convicted for masterminding a multi-million-dollar kickback scheme was handed a 6.5-year federal prison sentence on Thursday.

Anthony Tesvich, 42, will also pay $8.2 million in restitution for the scheme, which led to the convictions of other ex-Home Depot employees and Tesvich’s ex-wife, Melissa Deaton Tesvich.

Tesvich apologized to The Home Depot, his former colleagues and his family.

“I wish I could turn back the hands of time, but I cannot,” he said. “I’m very sorry.”

U.S. District Judge Richard Story delayed Tesvich’s reporting date to federal prison until mid-October, so Tesvich can be with his new wife through the end of her pregnancy. The couple is expecting triplets.

From October 2002 to October 2007, Tesvich, a global product manager, took kickbacks from vendors seeking business from Home Depot, paid kickbacks to fellow employees to further the fraud and, after he left the company, continued to pay kickbacks to his former colleagues.

All told, the scheme involved payoffs of more than $2.5 million, according to court records.

Judge Story found that Tesvich had provided substantial assistance to authorities, warranting a reduced sentence. Federal sentencing guidelines recommended a prison term of at least 10 years before Story gave Tesvich credit for his cooperation.