Store credit scheme nets Lake in the Hills man 3 years in prison

A 61-year-old Lake in the Hills man was sentenced this week to three years in prison for a scheme that netted him roughly $340,000 in merchandise from area home improvement stores.

Salvatore Cribari, also known as Sal Fradillio, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges in late 2017.

Authorities said Cribari obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in store credits at various locations of a nationwide home improvement chain between 2008 and 2016 by returning stolen goods for store credit.

Cribari would then use the store credit to purchase large-ticket items, such as flooring, water heaters, appliances, cabinets and countertops. Some of the funds were used to pay for installation services as well. The fraudulently obtained products were installed in Cribari's home, condominium units he owned and businesses he operated, according to court records.

Cribari admitted to using more than 1,300 fake IDs to conduct the returns at the stores.

Authorities said Cribari also sold the store credit to unwitting buyers.

In addition to his prison sentence, Cribari was ordered to repay the stores $342,490.