Multiple Members of Theft Ring Busted for Allegedly Stealing Over $2 Million from More Than 100 Home Depot Stores in 9 States

Authorities say they’ve dismantled nearly an entire organized retail theft crew accused of stealing millions’ worth of merchandise from Home Depot locations across multiple states.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday, Dec. 11, that a Queens-based ring of 13 people — nicknamed “Operation Self Checkout” — allegedly stole about $2.2 million in goods through more than 300 documented thefts at 128 Home Depot stores in New York and eight other states.

Officials said investigators have already recovered merchandise estimated at roughly $1.5 million in value, and they expect that number to grow as recovered items continue to be sorted.

According to investigators, the group was led by 52-year-old Armando Diaz. Police say the crew met around 5:30 a.m. nearly every day to plan each “hit,” then traveled to targeted stores to carry out the thefts.

Katz said the group’s daily hauls ranged from about $1,800 to as much as $35,000 — and that members would sometimes return to the same Home Depot as many as four times in a single day, pausing for lunch and dinner in between.

Officials allege the operation ran for years, with members loading selected items into carts or large garbage bins to conceal them before wheeling them out of the store.

In the alleged thefts, three or four members would reportedly enter separately and stay in contact with Diaz, who police say gave instructions through earbuds. Investigators claim the members avoided interacting with one another in-store and behaved as if they were simply shopping.

Authorities also shared security footage they say shows the crew’s method in action.

The investigation began in June 2024, officials said, when Katz’s office was conducting surveillance in an unrelated matter and observed the group allegedly stealing air conditioners.

Air conditioners were among the most frequently stolen products, along with insulation kits, reflective roof coating, power tools, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, officials said. Investigators also listed additional items such as saws, Bluetooth speakers, bolt cutters, and handheld blowers.

Officials allege the stolen merchandise was sold to black-market retailers, including resale through a Brooklyn storefront and listings on Facebook Marketplace, Katz said.

Along with Diaz, authorities identified the other alleged members as 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.

Eleven suspects were arraigned Wednesday, Dec. 10, on a 780-count indictment, officials said. One person remains at large, and another is in custody on an unrelated matter and will be arraigned later.

The indictment includes fourth-degree conspiracy for all 11, officials said, along with additional charges that vary by defendant — including first-degree grand larceny and first-degree criminal possession of stolen property, among other offenses.

In a statement shared by the district attorney’s office, Scott Glenn, Home Depot’s vice president of asset protection, said the alleged thefts caused “multimillion-dollar losses” and called organized retail crime a broader national issue affecting retailers and communities. He added that the company appreciated the work of Katz’s office and the New York State Police in dismantling the alleged enterprise.