QUEENS, NEW YORK – Authorities have dismantled a massive retail theft ring based in Queens that allegedly targeted Home Depot stores across nine states. The crew is accused of stealing over $2.2 million worth of merchandise in a sophisticated scheme investigators dubbed Operation Self-Checkout.
Rinse and Repeat Strategy
The bust resulted in the arrest of 13 individuals and is described by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz as the largest and most brazen retail spree her office has ever prosecuted. Prosecutors allege the group executed 319 separate thefts at 128 different Home Depot locations.
Katz stated the operation was very organized and the thieves would often use a rinse and repeat strategy. Surveillance footage released by investigators showed suspects casually loading items into large bins or pallets and pushing them out of the store without paying. In some instances, the thieves allegedly returned to the same store four times in a single day.
Ran Like a Business
The operation was allegedly run with professional precision. Investigators say the group would meet every morning at 5:00 a.m. in a parking lot near the Queens Center Mall. Their targets were chosen the night before by checking online inventory to see which stores had the most stock available to steal.
The crew would then hit the road, stealing between $1,800 and $35,000 worth of goods in a single day. The stolen inventory—ranging from power drills and tape measures to air conditioners—was brought back to New York City and stored in warehouses or apartments before being resold online.
Higher Prices for All
New York Governor Kathy Hochul joined the DA at the announcement, noting that organized retail theft drives up costs for honest consumers. Hochul noted that criminals are spending every waking hour trying to rip people off and the result is higher prices for everyone else.
The alleged ringleader Armando Diaz has been charged with grand larceny. Authorities have so far recovered approximately $1.5 million of the stolen merchandise.
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