-

Rhode Island Man Sentenced to 30 Months on Multiple Fraud Charges, Including Amazon Return Scheme

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN):

What:

On Friday, March 12, The U.S. District Court of Rhode Island sentenced Michael Chaves to 30 months in federal prison for operating a fraudulent product return scheme and defrauding Amazon of more than $50,000, as well as other charges including bank fraud, wire fraud, falsification of records, aggravated identity theft, and tax evasion. Amazon supported the investigation, prosecution, and sentencing.

You can see the press release issued by the US Attorney here, and the press release following his arrest in June 2020 here.

Statement from Amazon:

We work hard to build a great shopping experience and that includes a seamless, customer-friendly returns policy. Mr. Chaves abused our policy, and we took action to protect our selling partners, our store, and the experience for all customers. We are grateful to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island in their thorough pursuit of this case.

Amazon has teams and systems in place to proactively detect, investigate, and stop suspicious behavior and prohibited activity. Amazon has an extensive history of protecting its customers from fraud and abuse:

 

Contacts

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

Amazon.com, Inc.

NASDAQ:AMZN

Release Summary
Rhode Island Man Sentenced to 30 Months on Multiple Fraud Charges, Including Amazon Return Scheme.
Release Versions

Contacts

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

More News From Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon.com Announces Fourth Quarter Results

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its fourth quarter ended December 31, 2025. Fourth Quarter 2025 Net sales increased 14% to $213.4 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $187.8 billion in fourth quarter 2024. Excluding the $2.8 billion favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales increased 12% compared with fourth quarter 2024. North America segment sales increased 10...

AT&T, AWS, and Amazon Leo Collaborate to Accelerate Modernization of Nation's Connectivity Infrastructure

DALLAS & SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AT&T, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Amazon Leo today announced work to modernize the nation’s connectivity infrastructure and unlock the next wave of cloud driven innovation for U.S. businesses. Building on a long-standing relationship, the companies will combine AT&T’s expansive fiber network with the security, reliability, performance and AI capabilities of AWS to create a more resilient, adaptive, and future-ready connectivity solution. AT&T wil...

Amazon Sets New Prime Delivery Speed Record in 2025 With Over 13 Billion Items Arriving the Same or Next Day Around the World

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced it delivered to Prime members around the world at its fastest speeds ever in 2025 for a third consecutive year, with over 13 billion items arriving the same or next day globally. In the U.S., Prime members received over 8 billion items the same or next day, an over 30% increase compared to the prior year, with groceries and everyday essentials making up half of the total items. Fast, free delivery across a broad selection...
Back to Newsroom