A Queens mother and daughter are facing charges after prosecutors said they ran an international stolen-merchandise operation from an East Elmhurst apartment and a Valley Stream home that also operated as a daycare. The alleged ring targeted a familiar list of national chains, including Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, CVS and Ulta Beauty. The allegations point to a resale operation built around residential spaces rather than a single shoplifting incident.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the case Thursday, July 30, saying the mother and daughter were charged with operating the ring out of the two locations. The public announcement identified the stores but did not spell out the defendants’ names, the alleged value of the merchandise or the full list of criminal counts. Those details could emerge through court filings and arraignment records, according to Queens DA Katz.
A mother and daughter have been charged with operating an international stolen merchandise ring from an East Elmhurst apartment and Valley Stream home that was also a daycare. Targeted retailers included Macy's, Victoria's Secret, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Home Goods, CVS and Ulta
— Queens DA Katz (@QueensDAKatz) July 30, 2026
How The Alleged Operation Worked
The key allegation is not simply that merchandise was stolen, but that it was gathered and handled through two local bases before moving through an international resale network. The East Elmhurst location was an apartment, while the Valley Stream home also functioned as a daycare, according to Katz’s announcement. The case touches both organized retail crime and the alleged use of ordinary residential settings to support a larger operation.
The retailer list spans apparel, beauty, household goods and pharmacy merchandise. Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret sit alongside discount chains such as Marshalls, TJ Maxx and HomeGoods, while CVS and Ulta Beauty bring cosmetics and personal-care products into the alleged mix. That spread suggests prosecutors are describing a broad sourcing operation rather than a crew focused on one brand or one type of item.
Queens Has Seen Larger Resale Rings
The allegations arrive amid a string of Queens cases built around the same basic architecture: crews allegedly take goods from stores, fences collect them, and the merchandise is resold at a markup or discount. In December 2025, the Queens District Attorney’s Office said 13 defendants were charged in a 780-count case alleging more than $2.2 million in thefts from 128 Home Depot stores across nine states, with the merchandise allegedly routed to black-market retailers, according to the DA’s 2025 case.
In a separate November 2024 case, Katz’s office accused a Queens couple and three co-defendants of selling more than $2 million in stolen beauty products, clothing and accessories through a Queens home and a Dominican Republic boutique. That case included allegations that buyers requested specific products and that stolen goods were sold online and abroad, as detailed by the 2024 case release.
What Happens Next
The mother and daughter are presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the allegations in court. The next milestones will be their arraignments, the filing of formal complaints or indictments, and any details about the alleged value and destination of the merchandise. No information about defense attorneys or court dates was included in the announcement reviewed for this report.
For local shoppers and retailers, the case is another reminder that organized retail theft can begin in places that look nothing like a warehouse or storefront. An apartment, a house and even a daycare can become alleged nodes in a chain that stretches far beyond Queens.
