An Eagan woman and a Chicago man used information exposed in a 2014 Home Depot data breach to buy gift cards worth thousands of dollars, according to felony identity theft charges filed Wednesday in Dakota County.

Sade Alexis Robinson, 21, and Emile Anthony Rey, 35, were arrested June 10 at an Eagan Target.

According to the charges, Robinson and Rey used copies of credit cards compromised in the Home Depot data breach to buy gift cards at Target and Wal-Mart stores throughout the metro, the charges said.

The investigation began when Savage police called Eagan police in March and said a man had used a Savage resident's credit card number to buy a gift card at an Eagan Target. Target loss prevention found that Rey and Robinson used cloned credit cards to spend nearly $3,500 on gift cards at that store between Feb. 27 and March 23, the charges said. Most of the gift cards were redeemed in the greater Chicago area, according to the charges.

Police tracked Robinson's car to Target and Wal-Mart stores in the Twin Cities metro on nearly 50 occasions since April 29 and found Robinson and Rey had used 40 cloned cards in April and May, the charges said.

After police booked the two into the Dakota County jail, Robinson told investigators she had purchased roughly $10,000 in gift cards. She said she typically used them to buy food and clothing and that Rey keeps the cards he buys, according to the charges.

Police found 66 cloned credit cards at Robinson's Eagan home, the charges said.

Stephen Montemayor • 952-746-3282