Authorities across nine states have busted a massive theft ring that targeted more than 100 Home Depot stores and stole more than $2 million worth of goods from the home improvement giant.
In 2023, Home Depot's Vice President of Asset Protection, Scott Glenn, testified at a Congressional hearing on organized retail theft. Glenn urged Congress to pass legislation to combat organized retail crime.
At the time, Glenn told Congress, "Retailers are not exaggerating the problem of theft. We know firsthand that the impact has grown significantly. There is a myth that organized retail crime (ORC) rings occur only in big cities. Unfortunately, criminals and bad actors don’t discriminate when it comes to targeting stores, and organized retail crime is happening everywhere – in urban and suburban areas and everywhere in between."
Thirteen charged in a nine-state Home Depot theft ring accused of stealing $2.2M from 128 stores; they face 780 counts, including grand larceny, conspiracy, and possession of stolen property.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 15, 2025
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Authorities have busted nearly all members of an organized theft ring that targeted hundreds of Home Depot stores in multiple states, taking home millions.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Governor Kathy Hochul announced the bust through a press release and during a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 11, revealing that the Queens-based ring of 13 members, dubbed "Operation Self Checkout," stole $2.2 million in merchandise through over 300 documented thefts at 128 different Home Depot stores.
Police have recovered products with an estimated value of $1.5 million — a figure that will likely rise as investigators continue sorting through recovered items — according to New York officials.
The video showed the suspects dumping items into a garbage can, wheeling it out of the store, and distracting employees while other suspects left the store with unpaid goods.
The group was highly organized and allegedly led by Armando Diaz, 52, who would meet in the early morning hours to plan that day's "hit" before dispersing to Home Depot locations in New York and other states.
Officials said the group would place large items in carts or storage bins before wheeling them out of the store, and would allegedly steal between $1,800 and $35,000 per day. The thefts were treated as a job: a few members would act as if they were "browsing" the stores, and allegedly communicated with Diaz via earbuds about what item(s) to target. They even reportedly scheduled lunch/dinner breaks before returning to Home Depot to steal more goods. Some Home Depot locations were hit multiple times on the same day.
Air conditioners, power tools, smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, bolt cutters, and Bluetooth speakers were among the items stolen and allegedly sold to black-market retailers for resale.
11 of the 13 suspects were arraigned on that 780-count indictment on December 10. Of the two remaining suspects, one is at large, and the other is in police custody "on another matter." All 11 suspects are charged with fourth-degree conspiracy, grand larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property in the first degree.
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