Hicksville Woman Sentenced in $2 Million Home Depot Theft Ring
A Hicksville woman has been sentenced to 364 days in prison for her role in a large-scale theft operation that targeted Home Depot stores across nine states, including 14 locations on Long Island. Joana Carolina Fermin, 39, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal possession of stolen property for her involvement in stealing over $2 million worth of merchandise, including air conditioners, power tools, and other items between August 2024 and September 2025.
Fermin’s defense attorney, Scott Bookstein, stated that his client was not the mastermind behind the scheme but rather served as a lookout. He noted that Fermin admitted guilt and expressed remorse, leading to her punishment. She was the second-to-last defendant sentenced in the case, with the crew’s leader, Armando Diaz, 52, of Flushing, receiving a 3 to 6-year prison sentence on Monday.
The investigation into the thefts began in June 2024 after detectives spotted stolen air conditioners during surveillance. Diaz’s crew would meet daily at 5:30 a.m. in an East Elmhurst parking lot to plan their robberies, using Home Depot’s website and app to identify in-stock items. They executed 319 documented thefts, netting between $1,800 and $35,000 worth of goods each day. The stolen merchandise was sold to black market retailers in the Bronx and stored in various locations.
Among the hardest-hit Home Depot locations were Bay Shore, Farmingdale, and Westbury on Long Island, with losses totaling $81,635, $69,353, and $60,704 respectively. Fermin is one of 13 individuals sentenced as part of the scheme, which involved coordinated efforts to distract employees and conceal stolen items.