Jul 21, 2026 4:25 PM - Connect Newsroom - Ramandeep Kaur

Hamilton Police Service says it has arrested 32 people and laid a total of 235 criminal charges following an investigation into an alleged organized retail theft ring targeting Home Depot stores in the city.
According to a police news release issued Tuesday, the four-month investigation, dubbed Project Checkout, was launched after theft incidents at local Home Depot locations increased by 25 per cent. Police allege the group stole high-value merchandise from stores and later sold the items through online marketplaces at prices below retail value.
Police said store employees were allegedly threatened with violence in several incidents when they attempted to stop suspects from leaving with stolen merchandise. Investigators also recovered more than $300,000 worth of allegedly stolen property during the operation.
The 32 accused range in age from 19 to 64. Police identified 13 individuals with Punjabi names, including Rajwinder Singh, Karanbir Singh, Sartaj Singh, Lakhvir Singh, Vishwajeet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Vishkvajeet Singh, Daljinder Singh, Gurjeet Singh, Malkit Singh, Kamaljeet Sandhu and Ashish Sharma. The allegations have not been proven in court.


