The alleged ringleader behind a string of retail thefts across 21 counties in California is facing justice. Attorney General Rob Bonta says the stated charged a San Diego County woman with allegedly leading a crime ring, hiring others to steal goods before reselling them on sites like Amazon.
But Bonta also says the issue of retail theft in California is larger than this one case alone.
Thieves breaking display cases with hammers, ripping registers from stores and carrying out smash-and-grab robberies. These are all part of the unsettling reality of retail theft around California.
In a press conference Fri., Attorney General Rob Bonta announced charges agianst a woman accused of hiring people to steal nearly $8 million in beauty products from stores across the state, including San Diego County.
“And then having those individuals go out to the stores, commit the thefts, and either mail them back to her or bring them to her home … where she again sold them on Amazon Marketplace,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The criminal complaint includes 140 counts. 136 are charges for grand theft, which are all felonies.”