Suffolk County Police are asking for the public's help identifying a man accused of stealing $853 worth of tools from the Home Depot at 346 Middle Country Road in Coram earlier this month. Officers say the theft happened around 12 p.m. on October 7, and the suspect was last seen fleeing the scene in a black sedan.
According to News 12 Long Island, Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers reported the theft and say they are still trying to locate the person responsible. The outlet notes police have not released a name or detailed description of the suspect beyond the getaway vehicle. Anyone who recognizes him is asked to call 1-800-220-TIPS.
Tips can be submitted anonymously, and Crime Stoppers of Suffolk County offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest. The organization is a non-profit funded by private donations rather than taxpayer money, and tipsters are assigned code numbers so they can collect any reward without revealing their identity.
A Store With a History of Theft Reports
This is not the first time the Coram store has drawn police attention. In September 2025, Suffolk County Police investigated an earlier theft at the same location after a suspect made off with a Ryobi power washer, according to Friends of Laura, which reported that police again turned to Crime Stoppers for public help identifying that suspect.
The store's troubles go back further still. In December 2021, the same Home Depot location was tied to a financial crime investigation after someone used a debit card stolen from a parked car in Terryville to buy $390 worth of gift cards there, per TBR News Media. The Sixth Precinct, which covers Coram along with Selden, Port Jefferson Station, and surrounding Brookhaven communities, operates out of headquarters roughly 1.5 miles west of the store.
The Coram location includes a Pro Service Desk and Tool Rental Center that cater to local trade contractors and DIY builders, making its tool aisles a recurring draw for both legitimate tradespeople and, apparently, thieves.
What Charges Could Look Like
Because the stolen tools were valued at $853, the theft falls under New York's $1,000 threshold for grand larceny, meaning it would be charged as petit larceny under New York Penal Law § 155.25 — a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail, according to Saland Law. Beyond any criminal case, New York civil law also allows the retailer to pursue the suspect independently for up to five times the retail value of the stolen goods, capped at $500 in civil penalties plus damages up to $1,500 in total exposure.
State lawmakers have also given prosecutors new tools of their own. Under retail theft legislation adopted in May 2024, prosecutors can aggregate the value of stolen goods across multiple stores tied to a single criminal scheme, potentially elevating a string of petit larcenies into a felony grand larceny charge, per the New York State Senate. It remains unclear whether investigators are looking at the Coram suspect in connection with thefts elsewhere.
Part of a Statewide Push on Retail Crime
The Coram case lands amid a broader statewide effort to crack down on retail theft. New York's FY2025 budget set aside $40.2 million to create dedicated retail theft enforcement teams within the State Police, local departments, and district attorneys' offices, including 100 troopers assigned specifically to retail crime operations, according to the New York Executive Chamber. Statewide crime data released by the Governor's office also showed larceny offenses rising more than 50 percent between 2017 and 2023, a trend that has pushed business groups and lawmakers to seek tougher penalties.
Suffolk County has already seen larger enforcement actions tied to that push. Hoodline reported in June that prosecutors charged 18 people in a coordinated crackdown on a shoplifting ring targeting big-box stores across Long Island. Whether the Coram tool theft is an isolated shoplifting incident or connected to any broader resale activity has not been addressed by investigators. For now, police are relying on the public to help put a name to the man last seen driving away in a black sedan.
