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Organized retail theft ring that centered Macy’s, other retailers is charged in Unique York

The Macy’s mark is considered at its store in Herald Square in Unique York Metropolis on Jan. 19, 2024.

Michael M. Santiago | Getty Photography

A Unique York magnificence store correct blocks some distance from the Empire Articulate Constructing resold extra than $1 million charge of goods that’ had been stolen from Macy’s and a slew of alternative retailers, authorities talked about Wednesday.

Two Unique Yorkers were charged with possessing extra than $1 million in stolen goods and reselling them thru their industry, Rehana’s Cosmetics, a physique spray and cosmetics store in Midtown The the massive apple, the borough’s district attorney Alvin Bragg talked about at a press conference.

About $212,000 of the merchandise used to be stolen from Macy’s, whereas the final came from CVS, Rite Wait on, Walgreens and Walgreens-owned Duane Reade, Ulta, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Physique Works and the NHL Shop, Bragg talked about.

“Via our investigation, we stumbled on that Rehana’s Cosmetics used to be neatly-identified to shoplifters, who would willingly bring them stolen items,” Bragg talked about. “We voice that created a motive for shoplifters to rob, and thus that the defendants, we voice, were drivers of crime.”

The the massive apple District Legal legit Alvin Bragg announced an indictment pertaining to to extra than $1 million in stolen goods as piece of a retail theft fencing operation.

Courtesy: The the massive apple District Legal legit’s Office

Rehana’s Cosmetics, Bragg alleged, claimed to be a “magnificence and physique spray store,” but used to be in its place stumbled on to luxuriate in heaps of of containers filled with merchandise no longer in most cases stumbled on at such retail outlets, in conjunction with dressmaker purses, over-the-counter medicines, kitchenware and extra. He talked about the defendants obtained the stolen items from shoplifters for the design of reselling.

“The root trigger we voice here is greed,” Bragg talked about. “They were doing this to make money. Here’s the motive that is old trend as time.”

The costs approach as retailers similar to Target and Ulta extra and extra cite theft as a rising project at their retail outlets. In March, a monthslong CNBC investigation confirmed how police broke up an organized retail crime ring that stole millions in cosmetics from Ulta retail outlets and resold them on Amazon.

While Bragg used to be unable to provide a particular amount when asked how many retail outlets are believed to be sexy in an identical operations, he renowned that there were “some distance too many assaults” on staff at retail outlets which luxuriate in skilled theft.

“By utilizing a multi-pronged prosecution technique, we’ll be succesful to make an eternal dent in retail theft that will preserve our store staff precise, decrease off the incentives to rob and resell stolen goods and enable our retail sector to thrive,” he talked about.

In a statement to CNBC, a Macy’s spokesperson talked about, “We esteem the work of legislation enforcement and the The the massive apple District Legal legit’s Office and defer any feedback about the case to them.”

A spokesperson for CVS talked about the drugstore is “grateful” for the work of the The the massive apple District Legal legit’s situation of enterprise.

The the massive apple District Legal legit Alvin Bragg announced an indictment pertaining to to extra than $1 million in stolen goods as piece of a retail theft fencing operation.

Courtesy: The the massive apple District Legal legit’s Office

“Our partnerships with legislation enforcement are integral to our efforts to forestall organized retail crime (ORC) rings from stealing and then selling stolen goods online. We gaze forward to persevering with our strong partnership with the DA’s Office as we work to combat ORC at some level of Unique York Metropolis,” the spokesperson talked about.

A Walgreens spokesperson advised CNBC earlier this year that the chain is taking steps to “safely deter theft” and “relate the valid affected person and buyer ride.”

The opposite retailers presupposed to luxuriate in stolen goods integrated within the bust did now not at this time respond to CNBC’s interrogate for comment.

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