NORRISTOWN — A Philadelphia man was sent to jail after he admitted to being part of an organized retail theft ring responsible for stealing more than $51,000 in merchandise from Home Depot stores in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Philadelphia counties.
Kristopher Heard, 39, of the 6200 block of North Beechwood Avenue, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 9 to 23 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of organized retail theft, conspiracy to engage in retail theft and conspiracy to engage in receiving stolen property in connection with incidents that occurred May and August 2025.
Judge Risa Vetri Ferman, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Heard to complete four years of probation consecutive to his parole, meaning Heard will be under court supervision for six years.
“He’ll undergo substance use disorder supervision. He’ll stay away from all Home Depot stores,” said Ferman, explaining conditions of the sentence.
Kristopher Heard (Booking photo courtesy Montgomery County Distrct Attorney)
With his guilty plea, Heard specifically admitted that he was involved with two others in an enterprise committing organized retail theft.
“And you were found in possession of stolen property, correct, or at one point during the course of the committing the organized retail theft, you were in possession of stolen property?” Assistant District Attorney Caitlin Elizabeth Shortridge addressed Heard.
“Yes,” Heard, who was represented by defense lawyer William H. Pillsbury, responded during the guilty plea hearing.
Heard also must share with his two alleged co-conspirators in the payment of $51,350 in restitution to Home Depot, based in Baltimore.
Heard was one of three Philadelphia men arrested last August in connection with the crime spree.
Terrell Jackson, 40, of the 100 block of North Vodges Street, previously pleaded guilty to identical charges and is awaiting his sentencing hearing.
Terrell Jackson (Booking photo courtesy Montgomery County District Attorney)
A third Philadelphia man, Balvin Greene, 33, of the 6200 block of North Beechwood Avenue, is awaiting court action for his alleged role in the organized theft ring.
The investigation was conducted by county detectives and detectives from Cheltenham and Plymouth townships.
Between May 18, and Aug. 11, 2025, “this organized theft group was responsible for committing 38 thefts from Home Depot stores” in the four-county area, county Detective Sean Franchini, Cheltenham Detective Ryan Murray and Plymouth Detective Mark Ransom alleged in the arrest affidavit.
The thieves targeted high-value goods including Ryobi pressure washers, air conditioners, battery starter kits, Shark vacuum cleaners and Milwaukee Battery Chainsaws.
For example, during a May 27, 2025, incident at the Home Depot on Cheltenham Avenue in Cheltenham Township video surveillance depicted Heard and Jackson enter the store with empty flat carts and enter the seasonal department where they loaded their carts with multiple air conditioners valued at $2,107, according to court documents.
“Both subjects were observed on surveillance walking past all points of sale without rendering payment for the merchandise,” Franchini, Murray and Ransom wrote in the arrest affidavit, adding Heard and Jackson then loaded the stolen merchandise into a vehicle and left the area.
Balvin Greene (Booking photo courtesy Montgomery County District Attorney)
The group also hit Home Depot stores in the 2200 block of Easton Road in Willow Grove; in the 200 block of Alan Wood Road in Plymouth Township; in the 700 block of Horsham Road in Montgomeryville; in the 900 block of Rock Hill Drive in Bensalem, Bucks County; in the 700 block of Reed Road in Broomall, Delaware County; and along Bustleton Avenue in Philadelphia.
During the investigation, detectives identified two vehicles used by the thieves during the incidents and conducted surveillance of the suspects.
After stealing the merchandise, the defendants immediately traveled to meet with another unidentified co-conspirator in Philadelphia to sell the merchandise at below market amounts through so-called “porch sales” and other methods, authorities alleged.
On Aug. 14, 2025, search warrants and arrest warrants were executed at multiple locations in Philadelphia. Those operations led to the recovery of approximately $10,000 in stolen goods.
“Organized retail theft is not a victimless crime. It drives up costs for consumers, threatens the safety of store employees and drains resources from our communities,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said at the time of the arrests. “We have been working closely with multiple retailers, including Home Depot, Target and Lowes, to curtail these organized retail crime groups and shut down this illegal activity.”