Authorities have apprehended nearly all members of an organized theft ring that targeted hundreds of Home Depot locations across multiple states, stealing millions.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Governor Kathy Hochul announced the bust in a press release and at a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 11, revealing that the Queens-based ring of 13 members, known as “Operation Self Checkout,” stole $2.2 million in merchandise through over 300 documented thefts at 128 different Home Depot stores.
According to New York officials, police have collected things worth $1.5 million, which will most certainly increase as detectives sort through recovered items.
The crew, reportedly directed by 52-year-old Armando Diaz, would convene practically every day at 5:30 a.m. local time to prepare for each “hit” before striking at Home Depot sites in New York and eight other states, according to officials.
According to police, the group hauled goods worth anywhere from $1,800 to $35,000 each day and “took breaks for lunch and dinner, sometimes hitting the same Home Depot up to four times in one day,” Katz explained.
According to Katz, the crime enterprise, which lasted “years,” would allegedly hide targeted items inside carts or large rubbish bins before rolling them out of the store.
According to police, three or four members would enter the business individually and speak with Diaz via headphones to receive instructions. Investigators claim that the members would pretend to be surfing while avoiding communication inside.
Officials released security footage from the purported “hits” to show how the group operated.
The investigation into the ring began in June 2024, when officials from Katz’s office were conducting surveillance for another reason and noticed the crew stealing air conditioners.
The most “common items stolen” by the group were air conditioners, insulation kits, reflective roof coating, power tools, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, according to officials.
Officials believe that the stolen products, which included saws, power tools, Bluetooth speakers, bolt cutters, handheld blowers, and other items, were sold to black market sellers. (According to Katz, the items were resold at a Brooklyn storefront or on Facebook Marketplace.)
According to New York officials, the 13-member retail theft ring included Francisco Ayala-Ariza, Wilfredo “Fredo” Arango-Calle, Oscar Eduardo Valencia Diaz, Mateo Arias Toro, Victor Diaz, Joana Carolina “La Mona” Fermin, Freddy “El Torito” Padilla, Kyle “Italian” Goonan, David Araque Montoya, Angel Yamba Ortiz, and Nechemia Blatter.
On Wednesday, December 10, eleven of the members were charged on a 780-count indictment. They come from several New York towns and boroughs and range in age from 29 to 61.
One is still at large, while another “is in custody on another matter and will be arraigned at a later date,” police added.
The indictment charged all 11 with fourth-degree conspiracy as well as various additional allegations, including first-degree grand theft and unlawful possession of stolen property.
Home Depot’s vice president of asset protection, Scott Glenn, responded to the bust in a statement issued by the district attorney’s office:
“For years, this prolific organized retail crime resulted in multimillion-dollar losses for The Home Depot,” Glenn said, in part. “Though this crime ring was exclusively focused on The Home Depot, organized retail crime is a significant problem for large retailers and communities nationwide.”
“We are proud to stand at the forefront of efforts to combat these criminals and are grateful for the tireless work of District Attorney Melinda Katz’s office and the New York State Police in dismantling this enterprise,” he added.
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