Queens Home Depot Theft Ring Busted: $2.2M in Stolen Goods, 13 Charged

Multi-Million Dollar Retail Theft Ring

• 🚨 A sophisticated, multi-million dollar criminal operation based in Queens has been dismantled, leading to the arrest of 13 individuals.
• 💰 The crew is accused of stealing over $2.2 million worth of merchandise from 128 Home Depot stores across nine states.
• 📦 Stolen goods, including tools, building supplies, and home goods, were allegedly stashed in Queens and the Bronx and resold for profit.

Coordinated and Meticulous Operation

• 🎯 Investigators describe the crew as amazingly coordinated, disciplined, meticulous, and dedicated.
• 💻 Armando Diaz allegedly decided which items to steal by checking in-store inventory online, sometimes hitting the same Home Depot four times in one day.
• 📞 The crew maintained active conference calls during their heists and used distractions to leave stores undetected.

Legal Ramifications and Impact

• ⚖️ The 13 suspects face charges including grand larceny, conspiracy, and criminal possession of stolen property.
• 📈 The governor highlighted that stronger larceny laws allowed investigators to combine incidents, turning misdemeanors into felonies, contributing to a 14% decrease in retail theft across New York.
• ⛓️ If convicted, members of the alleged theft crew face up to 25 years in prison.

Ongoing Investigation

• 🔍 Police are still searching for one of the 13 defendants.
• 📍 The Home Depot in Flushing was among the targeted stores, with the theft crew reportedly meeting in East Elmhurst to prepare for their operations.