On December 12, 2025, FOX 5 New York reporter Stephanie Bertini laid out what prosecutors called one of the biggest retail theft cases Queens has ever seen. The accusation is blunt: an organized crew allegedly hit Home Depot stores again and again, then resold the goods for cash.
ABC7 Eyewitness News reporter Crystal Cranmore described it as a “multi-million dollar operation” that moved stolen Home Depot products through New York City.
And WTNH News 8 investigative reporter Jeff Derderian added a regional twist: authorities say the same ring also targeted Connecticut stores, including some right off busy highways where carts can be loaded and rolled out fast.
Prosecutors say 13 people are now charged. The case is spelled out in a 780-count indictment, and the alleged losses total more than $2.2 million in merchandise.
That’s not a few guys pocketing drill bits. That’s an alleged system.
The Charges And The Scale
Stephanie Bertini reported that Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the case in a news conference. Katz called it the “largest and most brazen retail theft crew” ever prosecuted in Queens County, in Bertini’s telling.
Bertini said the alleged targets were Home Depot locations in New York and eight other states. The number that keeps coming up is staggering: prosecutors allege more than 300 separate thefts – and specifically 319 incidents – at 128 Home Depot stores over about 13 months.
Crystal Cranmore’s ABC7 report echoed the same scale, saying the crew stole more than $2.2 million in goods from 128 stores in nine states. She also said the stolen goods were stashed in Queens and the Bronx and then sold for profit.
Jeff Derderian, reporting for WTNH, said authorities dubbed the case “Operation Self-Checkout.” He emphasized that Connecticut stores were among those hit, and he highlighted that prosecutors allege the thefts spanned nine states.
Bertini reported the defendants face charges including grand larceny, conspiracy, and criminal possession of stolen property. She said the top charge in the indictment is grand larceny in the first degree, and that all defendants are charged with conspiracy.
If convicted, Bertini reported the alleged theft crew members could face 15 to 25 years behind bars, depending on their role. Her reporting also noted that alleged “fences” (the resellers) face lower exposure – up to 15 years – compared to alleged core theft-ring members.
When you see those potential sentences, you can tell prosecutors are trying to treat this like an organized business, not random shoplifting. And frankly, the alleged facts read like an operation that ran on a schedule.
How The Crew Allegedly Worked
The visuals, as described by the reporters, are almost the whole story.
Stephanie Bertini said surveillance video shows crimes unfolding inside the stores. In one clip she described, a man dumps merchandise into a large garbage bin, and the bin is later wheeled out past employees and customers.
Crystal Cranmore described a similar surveillance moment: a thief allegedly swipes goods from a Brooklyn Home Depot shelf, conceals it in a garbage bin, and then an apparent partner rolls the bin out. It’s the kind of move that looks “normal” from 20 feet away, which is exactly why it works.
Jeff Derderian, in his WTNH segment, described the classic “load up a cart and head for the doors” pattern. He also pointed to surveillance video showing alleged team tactics—like distracting an employee with small talk while another person makes a beeline for the exit with a full cart.
Cranmore reported investigators say the crew would meet in East Elmhurst to prepare for the day’s hits. She also said the indictment names a person—Armando Diaz—as someone who would decide what items to steal by checking Home Depot’s in-store inventory online.
Bertini’s reporting backed up that “planned list” idea too. She said the investigation began after large amounts of stolen merchandise were spotted being sold online, which pushed investigators to trace the pipeline backward.
Derderian added another detail that, to me, makes the whole thing feel even more calculated: he said investigators claim the alleged crew members were on conference calls together while inside the store, talking and plotting in real time.
And then there’s the detail that people can’t stop repeating because it sounds so ridiculous it’s memorable. Bertini reported prosecutors said the crew was so organized they even took breaks – stopping for lunch between thefts.
Katz, as quoted in the reporting, described them taking lunch and dinner breaks and sometimes hitting the same store multiple times in one day.
That may sound like a throwaway line, but it’s actually important. It suggests prosecutors think this was structured labor – people clocking in, doing a run, regrouping, then doing another run.
Where The Stolen Goods Went
This case isn’t only about what was taken. It’s about where it allegedly ended up.
Stephanie Bertini reported investigators say the stolen product was transported back to Queens and then sold for profit. She also reported that during the investigation, authorities executed search warrants at homes in Flushing, Elmhurst, and Brooklyn, plus more than a dozen storage units and several vehicles.
Crystal Cranmore said authorities believe the stolen products were sold in Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, and she described it as a “sophisticated operation.” She also said the goods were sold to fences at 50% to 70% of retail value, which is exactly the kind of discount that makes buyers look the other way.
Jeff Derderian said police believe the group took items like power tools, wiring, insulation, and air conditioners. Bertini’s report listed a wider range too—construction materials, tools, air conditioning units, and more everyday items that are still easy to resell.
If this all happened the way prosecutors say, it also explains why retail theft is so hard to stop with just greeters and cameras. If stolen goods have a ready resale market—online, through storefronts, through social media—then every cart rolling out the door can turn into cash quickly.
And here’s the uncomfortable part: the resale market isn’t just criminals selling to criminals. Katz, as cited in the reporting by both Bertini and Cranmore, said goods were allegedly resold to consumers through a storefront and also through Facebook Marketplace.
That means regular people hunting for a “deal” could be feeding the engine without wanting to admit it.
Why Connecticut Got Pulled In
Jeff Derderian’s report is where the story expands beyond New York City headlines and turns into something that feels closer to home for a lot of viewers.
Derderian said authorities believe several Connecticut Home Depot stores were targeted during that same 13-month span. He listed locations including East Haven, Milford, Berlin, Manchester, Danbury, Enfield, Waterford, New Hartford, Stratford, Norwalk, Middletown, Southington, Stamford, Hamden, and more.
Derderian also said the Norwalk Home Depot was allegedly among the hardest-hit in terms of dollar value – about $100,000 in stolen items, according to what he presented.
In his segment, Derderian aired Melinda Katz describing the multi-state reach, listing out places like New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Maryland.
That list matters because it shows what organized retail theft looks like when it scales. It’s not a neighborhood crime problem anymore. It’s logistics.
And if you’re wondering why a crew would travel, the answer is pretty simple: if the alleged method works in one store, it can work in dozens – especially when the targets are large-format stores with big exits, crowded aisles, and high-value merchandise that doesn’t look suspicious in a cart.
The Bigger Fight Over Organized Retail Crime
All three reporters framed this case as a message moment.
Stephanie Bertini quoted Governor Hochul’s hardline tone—basically: if you commit these crimes, the state is coming after you. Crystal Cranmore also emphasized that officials presented the takedown as proof that “organized retail crime will not go unanswered.”
Bertini reported Hochul credited investments in enforcement, including an organized retail theft task force, and said officials claim retail theft is down 14% in New York since those efforts ramped up.
Bertini also relayed a broader set of stats attributed to Hochul: the task force has recovered nearly $4 million and produced 1,200 arrests and 2,200 charges.
Cranmore reported Hochul also argued that stronger larceny laws helped investigators combine incidents – turning what might have been treated as smaller cases into felony-level prosecutions.
This is where the debate usually splits in two directions. One side says crackdowns are overdue because retail theft has turned into an organized pipeline, not desperation. The other side worries that the system overcorrects and sweeps too broadly, especially when low-level participants get stacked charges.
My view is that this case, as described by Bertini, Cranmore, and Derderian, is exactly the kind that law enforcement points to when arguing for tougher tools. The alleged conduct isn’t subtle, and the alleged scale isn’t small. When prosecutors say 319 thefts happened across nine states, it’s hard to pretend it’s just petty crime.
At the same time, the real long-term pressure point isn’t only arrests. It’s the resale economy. If stolen goods can move quickly through online channels and informal storefront pipelines, then the theft side will keep recruiting new people who think it’s easy money.
And the public also has a role here, whether we like it or not. If you’re buying “brand new” tools for half price from a sketchy listing, you may not be the victim in the way you want to believe. You may be the market.
For now, prosecutors say the case is moving forward, with most defendants already arraigned and at least one still at large, according to the reporting. And if the allegations hold up in court, this won’t just be a theft story – it’ll be a case study in how modern retail crime is organized, coordinated, and sold back to the public one “great deal” at a time.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
