Authorities have indicted thirteen people on charges of stealing and attempting to resell over $2 million in stolen supplies from dozens of Home Depot locations across the Northeast.
Surveillance video appears to show members of the Queens-based group breaking into locked cages, dumping products into garbage cans, and wheeling stolen goods right out of a store.
According to authorities, the alleged burglars planned what to steal by looking up in-store inventory online the night before. When inside the store, authorities claim members would purposefully distract Home Depot staff so that others could take the stolen goods.
“This crew was amazingly coordinated, disciplined, meticulous, and dedicated,” Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz stated. “The crews stayed connected on active conference calls while they were in their heist so they could talk about it.”
The crew visited over 100 Home Depots in nine different states, including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Authorities report the theft of $100,000 worth of items from the Home Depot on Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk.
“They went out almost every day with one goal in mind – to steal,” Major James M. Browne of the New York State Police said. “They quickly delivered the stolen items to fencing locations for resale.”
According to authorities, members of the thievery team may face 25 years in prison, while members of the fence crew, if convicted, might face 15 years.
“These guys did it for a long time and thought they were getting away with it,” says DA Katz, “and they didn’t.”
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