Mother Of Three Arrested For Being ‘Mastermind’ In $8 Million Theft Ring, Targeting T.J. Maxx, Ulta, Sephora, & Others

A mother of three is said to have been the ringleader of an organized crime ring. They stole almost $8 million of makeup from stores, such as TJ Maxx and Walgreens. Afterwards, they resold the items online for a profit.

53-year-old Michelle Mack ran the operation from her $2.75 million residence. This is a 4,500-square-foot mansion, located in the foothills of San Diego.

Authorities say that Mack paid up to 12 women to steal items from the stores across the nation. They would then stockpile the stolen goods and sell them on her Amazon storefront for less than the actual price.

The supposed crime ring, identified as the “California Girls” traveled through the California coast and to 10 other states. These include Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, and Ohio, to commit the hundreds of thefts due to Mack’s instructions, detectives say.

In December, Mack’s luxurious, Spanish- style estate was raided. Then, authorities found almost 10,000 stolen items, valued at more than $387,000.

They also found what they have called a “mini store” stocked with beauty items, sunglasses, and designer bags, located inside of Mack’s garage. Detectives say that hundreds of envelopes that were already postmarked had stolen items inside of them, ready to be mailed to customers.

Now, the California Attorney General has filed 140 felony charges against Mack, her husband, Kenneth Mack, and seven other supposed members of the crime organization. They have been charged with offenses like conspiracy to commit organized retail theft, grand theft, and receipt of stolen property.

They have all pleaded not guilty.

Court documents show evidence of texts between Mack, her husband, and other women who are facing charges, police say.

“I’m not stealing regular. I’m going to start filling up my back quick. So I want to know stuff I can grab in bulks too,” defendant Kimora Lee Gooding texted Mack on January 7, 2023.

Days after that, Mack messaged her husband saying, “Even without lancome we still did well.” And he replied back, “Lots of orders let’s get shipping.”

“Did you get some new girls? I really need products. So if you have anything, please let me know,” Mack messaged  Alina Franco, another person facing charges, in July.

Mack and her team consistently stole from various stores like Sephora, Ulta, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Prada, Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret, Luxottica’s Sunglasses Hut, and LensCrafters, prosecutors stated.

A representative for Amazon noted that they have zero tolerance for retailers selling stolen items. They added that they helped with the investigation into Mack’s alleged crime ring.