In wake of major organized retail theft ring bust, Governor Hochul says New Yorkers are “sick and tired” of thieves plaguing communities
Governor Kathy Hochul and New York officials are announcing a major bust regarding a mass organized retail theft ring that extended along the entire east coast.
“New Yorkers are sick and tired of the retail theft that has been plaguing our businesses and communities — I promised we would fight it head on, and now we are seeing results,” Governor Hochul said.
“Earlier this year, we gave law enforcement and store owners the tools and support needed to help meet this challenge, and today with our partner District Attorney Katz, we’re taking down a massive retail theft ring stretching from New York City to Maryland to the Dominican Republic. Keeping New Yorkers safe is my number one priority, and as we enter the holiday shopping season, we will continue focusing our efforts to ensure people feel safe walking into stores and business owners can focus on serving their customers instead of locking up everyday items like toothpaste and deodorant.”
The charges allege a sprawling, multi-year, international operation that saw upwards of $2 million in retail goods stolen by organized crews.
The case includes the first-ever charges under Governor Hochul's newly enacted law criminalizing the fostering of stolen goods sales, a key component of the Governor’s five-point plan to fight organized retail theft.
Governor Hochul’s five-point plan to fight organized retail theft:
- Increases criminal penalties for anyone who assaults a retail worker by elevating it from a misdemeanor to felony. Any person who causes physical injury to a retail worker performing their job will be subject to this new felony.
- Allows prosecutors to combine the value of stolen goods when they file larceny charges. The Budget allows retail goods from different stores to be aggregated for the purposes of reaching a higher larceny threshold when stolen under the same criminal scheme.
- Makes it illegal to foster the sale of stolen goods to go after third-party sellers. A person will be found guilty if they use any website or physical location to sell stolen goods.
- $40.2 million for dedicated Retail Theft Teams within State Police, District Attorneys’ offices and local law enforcement, including 100 New York State Police personnel dedicated to fighting organized retail theft.
- $5 million tax credit to help small businesses invest in added security measures such as cameras. To help alleviate the burden on small businesses for additional security measures, the Budget creates a $3,000 tax credit for any small businesses who spend the threshold amount of money on retail theft prevention measures.
The new protections against organized retail theft signed into law with the FY25 Budget included over $40 million for law enforcement including dedicated Retail Theft Teams within State Police, whose work by undercover units led to these charges.
It also prioritized protecting frontline workers by increasing the penalties for assaulting a retail worker.
According to investigators, the defendants allegedly sold stolen merchandise including high-end makeup, perfume, beauty products, designer clothing and accessories, locally and abroad under the name Yvelisse Fashion, LLC.
They allegedly directed retail theft crews to steal specific merchandise and then sold the stolen products from their home and a storefront in the Dominican Republic.
The couple is also alleged to have paid truck drivers to divert products bound for retailers such as Sephora and Ulta Beauty from manufacturer warehouses directly to locations under their control.
Among the charges brought against the defendants is fostering the sale of stolen goods, the first time this newly adopted crime has been charged in New York.
The defendants allegedly purchased large quantities of stolen retail cosmetic goods, beauty products, perfume, designer clothing and accessories from numerous theft crews that stole from retailers up and down the East Coast.
They also organized the large-scale theft of merchandise directly from manufactures before it was distributed to retail outlets. They received approximately $50,000 worth of stolen goods per week for which they paid the theft crews approximately 10 to 15 percent of retail value.
The goods were then catalogued and sold in New York through online advertisements as well as from a brick-and-mortar boutique called Yvelisse Fashion in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
Image via the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
