Police Bust Mother-Daughter Theft Ring Spanning DE, PA, NJ
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- A mother-daughter duo have been indicted on charges that they operated an organized retail theft ring where they shoplifted cosmetics and later returned the items for cash.
Forty-seven-year-old Caroline Britt and 23-year-old Breanna Britt of Irvington, New Jersey have been charged with Shoplifting and Leader of Organized Retail Theft Enterprise, among other charges, all in the second degree.
The pair is accused of stealing expensive cosmetics items between 2011 and 2013 from Ulta Beauty and other stores and then returning the stolen merchandise at JCPenney stores throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts.
Investigators allege the Britts or other ring-members would initially receive store credit for the returns but would alter receipts and take part in additional transactions, sometimes even presenting fraudulent driver's licenses or stolen identities in order to get the store credit turned into cash. Authorities estimate $107,000 was obtained in total.
"Shoplifting was the same as stealing cash for this mother and daughter duo, once they devised this alleged scheme," said director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. "Schemes like this are one reason why organized retail theft costs retailers across the United States billions of dollars per year."
Caroline was also charged with second-degree theft by deception in addition to the charges mentioned above and is currently being held in the Bergen County Jail on unrelated charges.
Authorities have issued a warrant for Breanna's arrest.
If convicted, both women face up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $150,000.
