California Ulta queenpin Michelle Mack finds out her fate as she receives jail sentence after leading $8million make-up theft ring READ MORE: Michelle Mack created crime ring after defaulting on a $200k loan By Stacy Liberatore For Dailymail.com Published: 22:11 BST, 21 July 2024 | Updated: 22:11 BST, 21 July 2024 e-mail View comments The California 'queenpin' accused of masterminding a nationwide $8 million make-up 'smash-and-grab' will face more than five years in federal prison. Michelle Mack, 53, received a delayed sentencing of five years and four months that will be set in January and was hit with more than $3 million in fines.
Mack pleaded guilty in February to running a gang called the 'California girls' that operated in more than a dozen states and targeted Sephora, Ulta, Bloomingdales and other cosmetic and luxury brand stores. She and her husband, Kenneth, 60, were arrested in December after more than $300,000 worth of stolen goods were found at their home, according to prosecutors who noted that was a fraction of what was stolen since 2012. Michelle Mack, 53, received a delayed sentencing of five years ago four months that will be set in January and was hit with more than $3 million in fines Mack's gang operated in more than a dozen states and targeted at least 231 Ulta stores.
Mack, Kenneth and seven others have been charged in connection with the theft scheme. The couple was charged in February with 140 felony counts - including conspiracy to commit organized retail theft and receipt of stolen property - to which they pleaded guilty to last month. The judge is allowing Mack, a mother of three, to serve her sentence after Kenneth to ensure their children are cared for.
She sold millions of dollars worth of stolen cosmetics on Amazon using the platform's 'Online Makeup Store' for a fraction of the retail cost. Records show Mack raked in $1.89 million in 2022 alone.
One of the defendants in the theft case received a three-year and four-month sentence and the rest are currently pending, according to court records. Her troubles began well before becoming a cosmetic theft 'queenpin.' Former friends said the glamorous blonde always had a plan to make a quick buck and was already running a small operation even before she married Kenneth in 2007.
The judge is allowing Mack, a mother of three, to serve her sentence after Kenneth to ensure their children are cared for. Pictured is the couple on their wedding day in 2007 Kenneth is currently spending five years and four months in jail for his part in the criminal crime ring She ran an online business selling hand-painted wine glasses and delicate glass/crystal nail files imported from the Czech Republic. 'It was actually a very big operation even before I got there in 2015 or 2016 and she employed more than 10 people,' a former employee, Michelle Hermann, told DailyMail.
com. 'At the time, hand-painted wine glasses were very popular and we sold wholesale to a lot of other stores. Hermann added, 'As far as I knew, she ran a legitimate business back then, so I was pretty shocked when I heard what she was recently arrested for.
' However, 2013 court documents showed that Mack defaulted on her nearly $200,000 loan that she took out to run her wholesale novelty items business that was based out of Mesa, Arizona. Mack ran an online business selling hand painted wine glasses Part of her previous business was the sale of delicate glass/crystal nail files imported from the Czech Republic That year, Mack was ordered to pay nearly $200,00 she had borrowed for the failed ventures. Hermann said she eventually bought the glass and crystal nail file business portion of 95 & Sunny Inc.
from Mack around 2017. Meanwhile, the entrepreneurial couple pivoted to another venture- San Tan Mountain Weddings & Events- and used their new 4,447-square-foot mansion in Gilbert, Ariz. to rent out for weddings and other events.
The five-bedroom home had an expansive backyard nestled between scenic desert hills. Outside of renting their home, the Macks also offered all-inclusive wedding packages for decorations and liquor- yet another income stream for the struggling couple. The entrepreneurial couple pivoted to another venture in 2017 - San Tan Mountain Weddings & Events- and used their new 4,447-square foot mansion in Gilbert, Ariz.
to rent out for weddings and other events (pictured) A 2017 Facebook post from their wedding business venture showed a picture of a smiling Michelle and Kenneth during their own nuptials: 'I will always remember the love in your eyes and the warmth of your smile the day we were married ten years ago. Happy anniversary my love.' The wedding rental venture, however, eventually fizzled and the couple moved their family to a suburb in San Diego where they purchased a $2.
75 million home that is now up for sale. California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed the felony charges against the couple in March, who originally pleaded not guilty. 'This is a multimillion-dollar criminal scheme.
It was complex. It was orchestrated,' Bonta said in announcing the charges. 'We are not talking about garden-variety shoplifting.
' The smash-and-grab crime ring was uncovered through text messages between the couple and their team of shoplifters. California Prime Day Share or comment on this article: California Ulta queenpin Michelle Mack finds out her fate as she receives jail sentence after leading $8million make-up theft ring e-mail Add comment.
