Stolen Home Depot goods shipped to Guyana as NY man jailed in organised theft case 

Guyana has been identified as the destination for thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen retail goods after a United States (US) court sentenced a New York man for running an organised theft operation that trafficked merchandise overseas. Nassau County District Attorney (DA) Anne T Donnelly announced that 54-year-old Manooj Heeralall of Baldwin, New York, was sentenced on Thursday to between one year and four months and four years in prison for his role in a large-scale retail theft ring. The stolen items were shipped to Guyana for resale, according to investigators.
Heeralall pleaded guilty on August 8, 2025, before Judge Howard Sturim to grand larceny in the third degree, a felony offence. In addition to his prison sentence, he was ordered to forfeit assets, including a 2004 Nissan vehicle, items seized from his home and US$2640 in cash. According to the Nassau County DA’s Office, Heeralall operated a theft ring between October 2021 and December 2023, employing individuals to steal merchandise from The Home Depot stores across Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens and Brooklyn. Investigators said that between March and December 2023, the defendant directed individuals to steal construction and electrical items such as circuit breakers, light switches and related equipment from dozens of stores. Locations targeted included Freeport, Levittown, Syosset and Westbury, as well as stores in neighbouring counties and boroughs. After the thefts, Heeralall would meet with those involved, collect the stolen merchandise and pay them for their role. The items were then stored at his home and garage before being shipped to Guyana, where they were intended for resale. Search warrants executed at Heeralall’s residence on December 7, 2023, uncovered nearly 1000 circuit breakers valued at US$15,025 inside the home. Hundreds of additional items, including circular saw blades, electrical outlets and more circuit breakers, were recovered from the garage. Law enforcement officers also found four garbage bins in the garage containing acrylic roof coating, rock spotlights, oscillating grout blades and light switch wall plates, with a combined value of US$9576. The total value of the seized merchandise was estimated at approximately US$37,151.
DA Donnelly said organised retail theft operations damage local economies and affect both large retailers and smaller businesses. She noted that the operation involved sending crews into multiple stores to steal goods that were later shipped overseas for profit. The investigation was supported by The Home Depot Investigations Organised Retail Crime Northern Division. Heeralall was arrested on December 7, 2023, by members of the Nassau County Police Department’s DA Squad. The case was prosecuted by Assistant DA Justin Santabarbara of the Organised Crime and Rackets Bureau under the supervision of senior officials within the Nassau County DA’s Office. Heeralall was represented by Attorney Raymond Baierlein.