MIAMI-DADE COUNTY – Miami-Dade police arrested a man Thursday who they described as a member of a traveling organized crime ring after they said he was responsible for stealing from over 70 Home Depot stores in Florida and Illinois.
Detectives said a corporate investigator began to investigate an organized retail crew that began conducting fraudulent orders, fraudulent refunds, rollouts of merchandise with and without paperwork and thefts of items at Home Depot stores throughout Florida, starting in September 2020.
Recommended Videos
According to an arrest report, Yusser Echemendia Rodriguez, 38, was identified as one of the suspects in the organized retail crew.
Police said he was responsible for over 70 thefts and “thousands of dollars” in losses to Home Depot throughout their stores in Florida and Nevada.
Investigators said Rodriguez was seen parking his car in front of the Home Depot, located at 11305 SW 40th St., in Miami, on Dec. 27.
Detectives said after entering the store, Rodriguez selected several pieces of tile and made his way to the register to purchase the items.
After failing to scan certain items, corporate investigators said that Rodriguez only paid for one box of Alaskan tile, valued at $37.74 and exited the store without paying for three boxes of additional tile.
According to his arrest report, Rodriguez became known for switching barcodes and walking out of the stores before driving out with merchandise that he did not pay for.
Authorities said surveillance video showed Rodriguez stealing nearly $200 in tile from another Home Depot store, located at 11905 SW 152nd St., at the Deerwood Town Center later that same night on Dec. 27.
On Jan. 2, detectives said Rodriguez went to a different Home Depot location at 19400 SW 106th Ave. in South Miami Heights.
Rodriguez paid for six boxes of Alaskan Gray Ledger tile but walked out of the store and drove away without paying for six additional boxes that were located at the bottom of his cart, authorities said. Police said the total theft amount during the Jan. 2 incident was $203.
Investigators said Rodriguez went back to the Home Depot Store on Southwest 40th Street on Jan. 3 and drove off with 10 boxes of Alaskan tile that was unpaid for.
On Jan. 6, Rodriguez returned to the Home Depot store on 152nd Street and put an HP Air Mover blower fan for water damage into his cart but did not stop at the checkout aisle to pay, authorities said. Police said the blower was worth $115 and the incident was caught on surveillance video.
On Jan. 13, Rodriguez was seen making his way into another Home Depot, located at 33001 S. Dixie Highway, and entering the garden section of the store with a flat cart.
Investigators said he had several bath and bodywork items on his cart that included a marble white vanity top that was worth $259 and an 8-foot Hampton Bay patio umbrella worth $349, along with three other large boxed items. Rodriguez purchased a lemonade and loaded the other items into the bed of a Ford F-150 without paying before he drove off, authorities said.
Detectives said that video evidence showed Rodriguez and co-defendant Lazara Rodriguez stealing at least $608 worth of merchandise on Jan. 13.
According to records, Rodriguez had at least two previous theft convictions which were closed in April 2022.
Rodriguez is currently out on bond and is facing one count of organized scheme to defraud, 10 counts of petty theft with over two previous convictions and one count of retail theft with a prior conviction.