Woman accused of leading $8M retail theft scheme targeting beauty products, California AG says
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta unveiled charges Friday against a woman accused of orchestrating a nearly $8 million organized retail theft spree across 21 counties — including Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties — by recruiting people to steal from popular beauty retailers and then re-selling the products for a lower value online.
Authorities accused the woman, who has not been publicly identified, of paying at least seven people to steal high-demand cosmetics in bulk from Ulta Beauty and Sephora across more than 230 thefts. The products were then sold on Amazon, Bonta said at a news conference in San Diego.
“Organized retail crime has significant financial and safety implications for businesses, retailers, and consumers,” Bonta said in a statement. “Today, we are addressing an audacious instance of organized retail theft and making it clear that such criminal activity will not be accepted in California.”
The recruits, some of whom are young women, are also going to be charged, Bonta said. A spokesperson from the state Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request Friday afternoon to learn how many people will be charged.
The California Highway Patrol, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and employees from Ulta and Sephora helped to recover the products after the investigation launched months ago. Officers found makeup products organized and prepped for shipping, according to a news release from the state Department of Justice.
With our partners in law enforcement, we’ve broken up a multi-million-dollar criminal scheme that was complex, orchestrated, and incredibly organized.
Organized retail crime won’t be tolerated in our state. pic.twitter.com/WIO4clL7Tf— Rob Bonta (@AGRobBonta) February 17, 2024
About $400,000 worth of products were recovered, state prosecutors said. Total losses from the scheme exceeded $7.8 million, Bonta’s office said in a news release. State and federal authorities served simultaneous search warrants in December and detained the suspects, the CHP said in its news release.
Charges the suspects face include organized retail theft, conspiracy, receiving stolen property and grand theft, authorities said.
Other areas affected by the retail theft operation include Alameda, Kern, Contra Costa, Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, San Diego, San Mateo, Solano, Riverside, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Napa, Marin, Tulare, San Bernadino, Sonoma and Ventura counties.
