Home Depot Under Siege: The Disturbing Trend Of Equipment Theft Sweeping The Nation

By Alan Hume | Sunday, 21 April 2024 01:45 AM
2
Views 5.8K
Home Depot Under Siege: The Disturbing Trend Of Equipment Theft Sweeping The Nation
Image Credit : Photo by House Digest

Home Depot's rental department is grappling with an escalating issue of heavy equipment theft, with the stolen machinery being sold on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, according to federal prosecutors.

Earlier this month, a group of seven individuals was indicted by federal prosecutors in Oregon. The group stands accused of orchestrating a scheme to steal heavy machinery from Home Depot by renting the equipment and failing to return it.

The indictment, initially reported by Court Watch, reveals that the group members would approach the rental desk at Home Depot locations in Oregon, Washington, and Colorado. They would then rent the equipment using stolen credit and debit card information.

Prosecutors have also disclosed that the defendants would frequently use their actual driver's licenses as the required identification. However, instead of returning the rented equipment, the defendants would sell it on Facebook Marketplace and other online platforms, as per the court documents.

 WATCH: UCLA PROTESTORS LOST THEIR MIND CALLING THE UNIVERSITY A VIOLENT INSTITUTIONbell_image

In each case, the equipment was rented for a single day, GPS tracking devices were deactivated, and the items were promptly listed for sale on Facebook and other platforms, the prosecutors added.

 WATCH: TRUMP'S ATTORNEY FACING INDICTMENT IN ARIZONAbell_image

These thefts bear a striking resemblance to several cases in the past year, including one in Washington and two in Florida. In one case, a man in Florida was sentenced to eight years in prison for leading a crime ring that rented and failed to return over 60 pieces of heavy equipment, costing Home Depot more than $1 million.

 IS MCDONALD'S BECOMING THE NEW CHAMPION OF AFFORDABILITY?bell_image

The local Fox affiliate reported that this individual also used his actual ID when renting the equipment. Last month, Florida's Attorney General charged another man in a remarkably similar scheme involving 21 pieces of equipment, costing Home Depot over $460,000.

 DRAMATIC COURTROOM TWIST: WIFE OF ACCUSED 'CLIFF-DRIVER' MAKES DESPERATE PLEA FOR HUSBANDbell_image

Beyond the rental department, Home Depot and other retailers have been sounding the alarm over theft in recent years, which cost the industry an estimated $41 billion in 2022. In an effort to combat shoplifters, Home Depot has implemented measures such as locked display cases and power tools that are rendered inoperative unless activated at the point of purchase.

X