Teamwork and Proactive Response Leads to Interruption of Larceny in Progress and Recovery of Stolen Property

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is highlighting the collaboration between our retail partners and proactive work by deputies leading to the interruption of a retail theft in progress, and the recovery of a significant amount of suspected stolen property.

On April 17, 2026, at approximately 5:58 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the Home Depot, located at 750 Panorama Trail in the Town of Penfield, after Asset Protection (AP) reported a larceny in progress. Prior to arrival, deputies made contact with AP who provided background and real-time information about two individuals inside the store.

AP stated a male and female, later identified as Jemell Bender and Niketa Godwin, arrived in the parking lot operating a U-Haul truck. Bender entered the store and was observed concealing electronic merchandise inside a bucket. Godwin later joined Bender inside the store, and then left to return to the U-Haul.

Deputies arrived and quickly located Godwin as she attempted to leave the scene in the U-Haul. Godwin was detained and deputies recovered a magnetic device in her possession, which is commonly used to defeat retail security tags.

Deputies then located Bender inside the store vestibule, where he was detained after attempting to leave without paying for merchandise. He was found in possession of stolen items valued at more than $200.

A subsequent inventory search of the U-Haul led to the recovery of a large quantity of additional merchandise, including multiple Ring chime cameras, thermostats, valve replacements, switches, a printer toner cartridge, and related electronic equipment. The items were found concealed in bags without receipts, consistent with patterns seen in organized retail theft cases. All recovered property has been secured and is being investigated for identification and return to rightful owners.

Deputies transported Bender and Godwin to MCSO A-Zone for processing:

Jemell L. Bender, 45, of Brooklyn, and Niketa Godwin, 49, of Syracuse, are each charged with:

• Petit Larceny (Class A-Misdemeanor)  
• Possession of Burglar Tools (Class A-Misdemeanor)

Following processing, deputies issued Bender and Godwin appearance tickets directing them to return to court at a later date.  

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to protecting our community through strong partnerships and proactive enforcement.

MCSO deputies continue to work closely with local businesses and retail partners to identify and stop criminal activity before it escalates. Retail theft drives up costs for consumers and impacts our entire community—we will continue to investigate and hold offenders accountable.

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Deputy David Marcucci
Public Information Officer
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
MCSOCommunications@monroecounty.gov
(585) 753-4840