MESA, AZ — A man is facing multiple felonies for allegedly stealing about $2 million worth of merchandise at Home Depot.
Mesa police arrested 39-year-old Juan Ambriz-Rincon after he allegedly spent more than a year stealing from The Home Depot stores in several Valley cities.
Authorities say the thefts created a loss for the department store of no less than $46,000 in Arizona. Ambriz-Rincon is also suspected of similar thefts in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Investigators documented more than $900,000 worth of product loss in those thefts, with an estimated total loss close to $2 million over the past three years.
Home Depot investigators used video evidence and transaction receipts to identify Ambriz-Rincon in 14 different thefts from the retail store between October 10, 2022 and October 16, 2023. They occurred in Mesa, Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe and Avondale.
Mesa PD alleges Ambriz-Rincon used the self-checkout machines to pay for a few items in his possession but failed to pay for the more expensive items in his cart. He would then return those stolen items for cash or sell them to customers through social media in various states.
Police say he also thwarted employees by showing fake receipts at check out and claiming they were already paid for before walking out of the store with the merchandise.
Ambriz-Rincon was booked into jail for the following charges:
- Fraudulent schemes, a class 2 felony
- Trafficking stolen property, a class 2 felony
- 14 counts of theft over $25,000, a class 2 felony
- 14 counts of organized retail theft, a class 4 felony
- Possession of dangerous drugs, a class 4 felony
