Authorities revealed on Wednesday that a beauty store in New York, located just a few blocks away from the iconic Empire State Building, managed to resell over $1 million worth of stolen goods. These goods were originally stolen from Macy’s and several other retailers.
At a press conference, Alvin Bragg, the district attorney for the borough, revealed that two individuals from New York have been accused of possessing over $1 million worth of stolen goods. These items were allegedly being resold through their business, Rehana’s Cosmetics, a store specializing in perfumes and cosmetics located in Midtown Manhattan.
“Through our investigation, we found that Rehana’s Cosmetics was well-known to shoplifters, who would willingly bring them stolen items,” Bragg said. “We allege that created a motive for shoplifters to steal, and thus that the defendants, we allege, were drivers of crime.”
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An estimated $212,000 worth of merchandise was stolen from Macy’s, with additional thefts reported at CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and Walgreens-owned Duane Reade, Ulta, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, and the NHL Shop, according to Bragg.
According to Bragg, Rehana’s Cosmetics, which presented itself as a “beauty and perfume store,” was discovered to have an extensive collection of items that are not commonly found in such establishments. These items included designer purses, over-the-counter medications, kitchenware, and more. According to him, the defendants acquired the stolen items from shoplifters with the intention of selling them.
“The root cause we allege here is greed,” Bragg said. “They were doing this to make money. This is the motive that is old as time.”
Retailers like Target and Ulta are increasingly pointing to theft as a significant issue at their stores. In March, an extensive investigation by CNBC revealed the dismantling of an organized retail crime ring. This ring had been involved in stealing a substantial amount of cosmetics from Ulta stores and subsequently selling them on Amazon.
When questioned about the extent of the issue, Bragg couldn’t provide an exact figure. However, he emphasized that there have been an alarming number of assaults on employees at stores affected by theft.
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