Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Organized Retail Crime Unit has filed felony charges against three individuals for their alleged involvement in a scheme to defraud Home Depot stores across multiple counties. According to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), Volodymyr Tsuman and Leonid Trotskovets face charges of first-degree organized retail theft, while Veniamen Tsuman, Volodymyr’s brother, is charged with second-degree organized retail theft. The defendants are accused of stealing merchandise valued at approximately $48,878 during at least 50 theft incidents in four counties.
The alleged scheme involved “double dipping” tactics where the defendants used legitimate purchase receipts to steal duplicate items. According to court documents, they would enter stores, show receipts from prior purchases, and leave with unpaid merchandise matching those receipts. In other instances, the suspects reportedly failed to scan items at self-checkout or used pick-up paperwork to claim unpaid goods from different locations. These thefts spanned Home Depot stores in Snohomish, Thurston, Pierce, and King counties.
“If convicted, Volodymyr Tsuman and Leonid Trotskovets could face up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines,” the Attorney General’s Office stated. “Veniamen Tsuman could face up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.” The state also intends to seek restitution for Home Depot, which reportedly suffered significant financial losses due to the thefts.
The charges stem from an investigation led by the Organized Retail Crime Unit, formed by Attorney General Ferguson in 2023 to combat large-scale retail theft. The unit comprises prosecutors, investigators, and paralegals, working in collaboration with law enforcement and retail partners. This centralized approach enables coordination across jurisdictions, addressing theft schemes that cross county lines.
“Organized retail thieves can be brazen and prolific,” Ferguson said. “This sophisticated problem requires a sophisticated response. Our team will do everything we can to protect hardworking Washington business owners.”
Organized retail crime differs from petty shoplifting or isolated burglaries. It involves coordinated efforts to defraud retailers and often includes intimidation of employees or repeated exploitation of store policies. The Attorney General’s Office clarified that its authority to prosecute in such cases stems from referrals by county prosecutors or the governor. In this instance, referrals were received from Snohomish, Thurston, Pierce, and King counties.
The affidavit filed in court describes extensive evidence gathered during the investigation, including video footage, receipts, and testimony from Home Depot employees and investigators. Senior Investigator Matt Harschfeld, part of the Organized Retail Crime Unit, reviewed reports detailing the alleged thefts and documented their methodical nature. According to the affidavit, the defendants frequently exploited self-checkout systems and receipt validation procedures. For instance, they allegedly staged duplicate merchandise in-store, used receipts from prior purchases to exit with unpaid items, or conducted partial returns to obscure thefts.
In one instance cited in the affidavit, Volodymyr Tsuman allegedly stole $1,643 worth of flooring materials from an Everett Home Depot by showing receipts from an earlier purchase and retrieving identical items from the store. In another case, he allegedly used pick-up paperwork from one store to take similar items from another location. The AGO also claims that the accomplices frequently assisted in handling stolen merchandise, repositioning vehicles, and loading items into vans, making detection more difficult for store employees.
Home Depot, a participant in the Attorney General’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, provided extensive documentation that helped investigators connect the thefts. The company’s organized retail crime investigator, Ryan Lemmers, contributed transaction analyses, CCTV footage, and other materials that linked the suspects to dozens of thefts. Lemmers reported that Volodymyr and Veniamen Tsuman often used credit cards tied to their ProXtra rewards accounts to facilitate purchases and obscure theft patterns. Trotskovets was also identified on surveillance footage participating in several incidents.
The Attorney General’s Office emphasized that the allegations outlined in the affidavit remain accusations at this stage.
“A person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” the office stated. It further noted that professional conduct rules limit the scope of public comments about the case before trial.
The Organized Retail Crime Unit, which played a key role in developing the prosecution, is modeled after similar initiatives in states like Arizona and Michigan. It is designed to provide investigative support, coordinate efforts across jurisdictions, and prosecute cases referred by local prosecutors. The unit’s two prosecutors and four investigators work alongside paralegals and a data analyst to target sophisticated theft operations.
Ferguson convened an Organized Retail Crime Task Force in 2022, bringing together representatives from law enforcement, retail businesses, and worker organizations to address the growing problem. According to Ferguson, organized retail crime significantly affects local economies and endangers employees.
“We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to stop these crimes,” Ferguson said.
The defendants are scheduled to appear in Snohomish County Superior Court for arraignment. Prosecutors intend to seek full restitution for Home Depot as part of the resolution of this case.