Brazen Boston Home Depot thief who said he’d be back to steal more items gets jail time

A Boston man was sentenced Tuesday in Suffolk Superior Court for a series of thefts from Home Depot stores in the South Bay Mall and West Roxbury. 

Jeramie Croft, 42, who has a lengthy history of shoplifting and trespassing, was sentenced to up to three years in state prison, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a release. 

In 2025, Croft committed a series of larcenies in the South Bay Mall Home Depot between Feb. 23 and March 17.

On Feb. 23, Croft was seen on the South Bay Mall Home Depot surveillance footage taking two drill combination kits, valued at $798, and leaving the store without paying. He returned to the Home Depot the following day, and was approached by employees who told him he was trespassing and needed to leave the store. Croft replied that he had stolen the two drills the day prior and would be back to steal more items, Hayden said. 

Four days later, on Feb. 27, Croft was seen on the Home Depot surveillance footage stealing more merchandise, and then again on March 17, Hayden said. 

Croft also committed a second series of larcenies between May 8 and June 21, 2025 in the same South Bay Mall Home Depot, and a larceny at the West Roxbury Home Depot on April 12, 2025. 

In several of those instances, Hayden said, Croft was captured on video wheeling hundreds or even thousands of dollars in merchandise out of the store in large trash barrels, which he also didn’t pay for.

The total value of the thefts was around $7,000, Hayden said. In each incident, surveillance video captured Croft walking into the store, taking high-priced items, and then exiting without payment.

Croft was charged with larceny over $1,200, two counts of larceny over $1,200 by single scheme, three counts of malicious destruction of property and being a common and notorious thief. Croft pleaded guilty to all seven charges. 

Croft has a criminal record of more than 80 convictions, with at least 65 of them resulting in committed time, Hayden said. He has been convicted of more than 20 shoplifting charges.

“We take great care to provide rehabilitative services to offenders when appropriate, but some individuals require a much different approach,” Hayden said. “Mr. Croft is one of those individuals. He presents a clear threat to our retail community and this prison sentence is entirely justified by his repeated offenses.” 

Croft will serve two years of probation following the completion of his sentence, Hayden said. He was also ordered to stay away from the South Bay Mall, any victims or witnesses and all Home Depot stores upon his release.