One of the largest retail theft rings that hit Home Depot stores across nine states has been busted by New York officials.
If you’ve gone shopping at a Home Depot store in New York in the last few years, you may have noticed that many of the easy-to-steal items available for sale are now locked up and can only be accessed by a store employee.
Why Does Home Depot Lock-up Items?
The short answer is that they have long been targeted by theft rings across the country that select a random store and steal millions of dollars in merchandise. Law enforcement agencies have launched numerous investigations into breaking up these theft rings across the country, and it appears that officials in New York have succeeded.
Home Depot theft Ring Busted in New York
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz have announced that 13 individuals have been charged in a 780-count indictment for operating a stolen goods and resale ring that targeted Home Depot locations in New York and eight other states.
Officials stated that the theft ring, which was based in Queens, NY, allegedly stole more than $2.2 million worth of tools and construction equipment during 319 separate incidents at 128 Home Depot locations across the country…