Two individuals have been indicted on charges of aggravated organized retail crime after a spree of thefts from makeup stores across Massachusetts, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz's office reported on Thursday, according to MassLive. Ana Pacheco, 20, and Kevin Jhonalerth Pereira Morales, 24, allegedly collaborated in shoplifting thousands of dollars’ worth of products.
Pacheco pleaded not guilty to related charges earlier in February, while Morales remains at large with a warrant out for his arrest. As part of the investigation, loss prevention officers linked Pacheco to several thefts, including nearly $7,000 worth of products from the Sephora in Hingham, and approximately $5,000 from the Sephora in Hanover, Fall River Reporter detailed.
Surveillance footage implicated both Pacheco, and Morales in the theft of over $2,000 in products from an Ulta Beauty store in Northborough, followed by an nearly $5,000 theft from a Framingham Ulta, the authorities said. On the same evening, they allegedly took close to $2,000 in high-end products from an Ulta in Braintree, and the following day, they were captured on surveillance at an Ulta in Woburn stealing approximately $4,600 in cosmetics and fragrances.
In response to the growing concern over retail theft, Cruz established an Organized Retail Crime Task Force within his office early last year to work in conjunction with retailers, law enforcement, and other stakeholders. The investigation led to Pacheco being apprehended in Pennsylvania, and she has since been extradited to Massachusetts to face charges. Efforts continue to apprehend Morales, who is also accused of participating in these alleged offenses, MassLive reported.
Both Pacheco and Morales are charged with one count each of aggravated organized retail crime, a reflection of the seriousness with which authorities are treating the case. The incidents, which stretch back to October of last year, reveal a pattern of repetitive, calculated thefts, targeting popular beauty retailers and exploiting the vulnerabilities of retail environments.
