16 people out on bail accused of large-scale retail thefts at LCBO, Home Depot in Ontario

York Regional Police accidental 16 people, who were each retired connected merchandise orders, are facing much than 1,500 charges betwixt them successful transportation with respective retail thefts astatine the LCBO and Home Depot.

Police said implicit a nine-month-long probe betwixt October 2023 and July 2024, Project Spartan recovered respective suspects “who were believed to beryllium progressive successful large-scale organized retail theft” crossed the portion and the Greater Toronto Area.

Investigators collaborated with LCBO’s assets extortion portion arsenic good arsenic Home Depot’s plus extortion department.

Officers recovered that during these thefts, high-value items were often stolen with the alleged intent of being resold passim the community.

“In immoderate cases, the suspects would enactment successful groups and locomotion into a store, stealing galore items and locomotion out,” constabulary said. “Occasionally, suspects would edifice to threats of violence, either verbally oregon by brandishing a limb if approached.”

After 10 investigations, officers arrested 16 radical and a full of 1,538 charges were laid — including 797 charges for failing to comply with a merchandise order, constabulary said.

According to the database of charges, the accused are betwixt the ages of 25 and 63 and are mostly from the GTA with 1 idiosyncratic from Quebec.

Police said astatine the clip each 16 suspects were arrested, they were each retired connected bail.

The worth of the items stolen was $623,852, investigators noted.

“Our collaboration with constabulary services crossed the state is captious successful holding criminals accountable – adjacent aft they person near the store,” said Marty Power with LCBO’s assets protection.

“We proceed to leverage tools and resources designed to support a harmless and enjoyable buying environment. A cardinal facet of this effort is our ongoing concern with section instrumentality enforcement,” said Paul Dedonato with Home Depot’s plus protection.