A Baldwin man was sentenced to up to four years in prison for running an organized retail theft operation that targeted dozens of Home Depot stores across Long Island and New York City, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced Dec. 22.
Manooj Heeralall, 54, pleaded guilty Aug. 8 to grand larceny, a felony, and was sentenced to 1-1/3 to four years in prison. Prosecutors said Heeralall employed individuals to steal construction and electrical materials from Home Depot stores in Nassau and Suffolk counties, as well as in Queens and Brooklyn, between October 2021 and December 2023.
Authorities said Heeralall paid the individuals for the stolen merchandise, stored it at his home and garage, and later shipped the goods to Guyana for resale. A search of his home in December 2023 uncovered nearly 1,000 circuit breakers and hundreds of additional items, including saw blades, outlets and roof coating, with a total value of about $37,151.
“Thanks to the work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, his illegal enterprise was upended, and he is headed behind bars. We will continue to work with all our partners, in law enforcement and retail, to pursue organized theft rings that undermine honest businesses,” said Donnelly.
As part of his sentence, Heeralall forfeited a vehicle, cash and other seized assets. Members of the Nassau County Police Department’s District Attorney Squad arrested him Dec. 7, 2023.
