Brooklyn defendants implicated in large-scale retail theft across 13 states

Over 130 Lowe’s and Home Depot Stores Targeted in wide-ranging theft operation

January 19, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace announced charges against a group of men from Brooklyn and The Bronx who were allegedly involved with retail theft at over 130 Home Depot and Lowe’s stores across 13 states.
Photo: Seth Wenig/AP

Share this:

An extensive theft operation spanning across 13 states has led to the indictment of six individuals on charges of interstate transportation of stolen property, including merchandise from over 130 retail stores and rental vehicles.

The operation, lasting from April 2022 to December 2023, involved the theft of goods worth over $800,000, including products from Lowe’s Companies Inc. and The Home Depot Inc., as well as rental cars valued at approximately $320,000.

The defendants, Christopher World, Lovell Ambrister, Hassen Lewis, Trent Dance, Von Vincent and William Harvin, who are from Brooklyn and The Bronx, are charged with executing a 20-month scheme involving the theft of rental cars from Hertz Global Holdings and other companies.

The vehicles were used to transport stolen merchandise from Lowe’s and Home Depot stores along the East Coast, from South Carolina to Maine. During the arrests of World, Ambrister, and Lewis, a gun with an extended magazine was seized.

“As alleged, the instruction manual for these defendants was simple: commit crimes at every stage and repeat,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “They stole over $300,000 in cars to drive to stores, which they robbed of over $500,000 in merchandise — and replayed this scheme at least 130 times across the East Coast. Let this serve as a warning: Retail theft has real consequences.”

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace and FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge James Smith announced the charges. The operation, involving the theft of more than $500,000 in home improvement merchandise, often Lutron lighting products, was repeated at least 130 times across various locations, they explained.

The defendants are alleged to have stolen from 71 Lowe’s branches and 59 Home Depot branches, including 21 stores in the Eastern District of New York.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, with the defendants presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, they face a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment for each interstate transportation count and up to five years for the conspiracy count.