A San Diego County woman who allegedly ran a retail theft ring that targeted stores nationwide and resulted in nearly $8 million in losses has been charged along with her alleged co-conspirators, the California Attorney General’s Office announced Friday.
The defendant, whose name was not publicly disclosed by prosecutors, allegedly directed others to shoplift products — largely high-demand makeup items — from various retail stores and then resold the stolen products on her online Amazon storefront.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said those items were resold on her storefront for “a fraction” of their usual price.
The thefts mainly targeted Ulta and Sephora stores, the A.G.’s Office said, and occurred over the course of nearly a decade. Bonta said the crimes took place “from the West Coast to the East Coast,” while also striking stores in 21 California counties.
The California thefts occurred in Alameda, Placer, Kern, Contra Costa, Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, San Diego, Sacramento, San Mateo, Solano, Riverside, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Napa, Marin, Tulare, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Ventura and Yolo counties.