ALBANY, N.Y. — A 44-year-old Albany man has been sentenced to eight years in state prison following his conviction for robbery and criminal mischief in connection with a violent theft at the Latham Farms Home Depot last September.
Philip Sarner was found guilty in February of first-degree robbery for threatening employees with a dangerous instrument and fourth-degree criminal mischief related to the incident that occurred on September 21, 2023, at the Home Depot in the Latham Farms plaza on Troy Schenectady Road.
Surveillance footage showed Sarner behaving suspiciously as he loaded Milwaukee power tools and hand tools into a black Husky contractor’s bag. When confronted by a loss-prevention specialist and a pregnant employee, Sarner dropped several stolen items and fled to his vehicle.
According to police reports, Sarner then drove a minivan, registered to his mother, directly at the employees, forcing them to take cover behind a door. He crashed into the building after jumping a curb, retrieved the stolen goods, and escaped the scene.
Sarner was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
