Over A Dozen Arrested In Historically Massive Home Depot Theft Ring

Retail theft is hardly a new issue, but it can still make headlines due to the sheer scale that organized theft can reach. This is no better exemplified than the massive Home Depot theft ring that was busted in Queens, New York in mid-December. Per ABC7 Eyewitness News, the group, comprised of 13 individuals, was involved in 319 incidents at 128 Home Depot locations. The group managed to get away with a whopping $2.2 million worth of tools and construction equipment.

Those 128 Home Depot locations were spread across New York and eight other states. Each incident involved the theft of between $1,800 and $35,000 worth of Home Depot products — numbers that make it clear the thieves aimed higher than the many worthwhile Home Depot tools under $20. The crew apparently scoped out online inventory at each of these stores to plan their heists. After that, they met up, discussed their plans, split into two groups, and stole the targeted products. Investigators claim that the thieves then sold their stolen wares for profit. Though one of the 13 thieves is yet to be apprehended as of publication, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and law enforcement see this bust as a win. More specifically, they see it as a major step in combating retail theft in New York.

Throughout the years, Home Depot has been the subject of some major thefts. For instance, in 2024, it was discovered that a group of thieves had targeted 11 Home Depot locations, using self-checkout scanners to acquire $349 buckets of roof sealant for $40 each and selling them off for a profit — leading to almost $100,000 in losses for Home Depot. Not long before, a $20 million crime spree hit Home Depot, Lowe's, and other retailers involving the fraudulent purchase and reselling of appliances and construction materials.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul believes that this recent $2.2 million crackdown is a direct result of the New York State Police Organized Retail Theft Task Force. This is an initiative launched in 2024 to combat retail theft that has recovered around $2.6 million in stolen goods as of November 2025. "Since we changed the laws and put money behind this effort, retail theft crimes are down 14% in the city and across the state of New York," Hochul said  in the wake of the latest Home Depot crime ring bust (via ABC7 Eyewitness News), which amounted to a staggering 780-count indictment. 

She added that the goal of investing in retail theft prevention and recovery is to make store owners, employees, and shoppers safer. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz expressed the belief that this bust sends a clear message: organized retail crime won't be tolerated or overlooked throughout the borough. If convicted, the members of the Home Depot theft crew each face up to 25 years in prison. Time will tell how the rest of their story will unfold, and what New York's anti-retail theft efforts will yield in the future.