The Miami-Dade Police Department’s Organized Retail Crime Squad, in conjunction with Homeland Security, arrested three men of Cuban origin for their participation in the theft and resale of retail items.
The detainees have been identified as Lázaro Dunier Echevarría (37 years old); José Bello Valdés (44) and Yoannys Montano Solano (44).
Lázaro Dunier Echevarría, who worked as an asset protection specialist in Home Depot, He facilitated theft for his accomplices by opening locked tool cabinets and placing items to be stolen. He stole from the same stores he was paid to protect.
Detectives revealed that the theft investigation dates back to November 2023, when discovered a scheme that included a loss prevention officer in several Home Depots throughout Miami-Dade County.
According to the arrest report – cited by Local 10– Echevarría facilitated the thefts from Bello-Valdés by hiding merchandise in boxes intended for other items and allowing him to leave the store without paying.
Police said that in an incident that occurred on the morning of November 3 of last year, Bello-Valdés entered a Home Depot located at 15750 SW 88th Street in Kendall, without any items and proceeded to the store’s tool gift center.
Police said that while at the gift center, Bello-Valdes selected several combinations of Dewalt and Milwaukee tools by concealing them in an empty box on a flatbed cart. Bypassing all points of sale she left the store without attempting to purchase the merchandise.
The arrest report indicates that a customer saw Bello-Valdés take the items and notified the management of Home Depot, which led to notifying Echevarría, who worked at the establishment at the time of the incident.
As Bello-Valdes loaded the merchandise into a black Chevy SUV, an off-duty Miami-Dade police officer who was in Home Depot approached him, at which point the man fled on foot toward the Walmart shopping center, abandoning his vehicle.
On that occasion Bello-Valdés could not be arrested.
Echevarria, who was present during the incident, prepared an internal report of the incident, but did not file a police report with Miami-Dade police..
Police said Echevarria recovered stolen merchandise, including cordless combo kits, pruning saws, a nail gun kit, hand blower kits and a kitchen cabinet, totaling $6,250.
The investigation, which lasted several months, revealed a pattern of thefts that resulted in substantial losses for stores Home Depot.
Finally, on April 11, the Miami-Dade police, in collaboration with investigators from Home Depotstopped Bello-Valdes as he left a store with stolen Milwaukee power tools valued at $2,691.
Upon further investigation, police said the stolen items were sold to Yoannys Montano-Solano, who in turn sold them online at prices significantly below retail value.
Subsequent investigations uncovered fraudulent return activities carried out by Echevarría, which resulted in losses totaling $49,266according to the police.
After carrying out a search in two placesinvestigators recovered 1,240 items – mostly power tools – that were valued at more than $260,000, with some items still in their original packaging.
Jail records show the three suspects face charges including organized fraud of $50,000 or more, third-degree grand larceny, trafficking in stolen property and unlawful use of a communication device.
Montano-Solano, Echevarría and Bello-Valdés remain at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGK), where their bonds have not been determined.
Anyone with more information about the case is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
