A New York woman was ordered held on $100,000 cash bail Tuesday, charged with taking part in a retail theft ring that stole thousands of dollars in merchandise from Ulta Beauty stores, including one in Plymouth.
Johana Quispe of Queens, NY, 34, pleaded not guilty in Plymouth District Court Tuesday to organized retail crime, larceny over $1,200, and conspiracy — all felonies — as well as misdemeanor shoplifting charges.
On Aug. 31, Plymouth police investigated a report that two women and a man entered the Colony Place Ulta Beauty store and allegedly stole 34 bottles of facial serums and six bottles of Burberry perfume — totaling $1,443.72
The women were seen on video security cameras placing items in bags specially lined to bypass theft detective devices.
The cameras, however, were equipped with facial recognition software, which was able to match the photos with Quispe and an accomplice, Brenda Tocto. The two women have allegedly been linked to at least 15 other Ulta Beauty store thefts across the country, according to a report by Plymouth patrol officer Connor Smith.
Quispe was located in New Jersey, and a warrant has been issued for Tocto’s arrest.
Investigator John Murphy, from the office of Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, told Plymouth police that Tocto had been involved in 33 incidents totaling $59,500 in thefts, and Quispe was involved in 14 thefts totaling $22,000.
They pair allegedly stole from Ulta stores in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.
Hingham Police reported that Quispe and Tocto had stolen from seven Massachusetts stores in August and September: Watertown, Hingham, Braintree, Westwood, Attleboro, Plymouth, and Hadley.
The total amount value of goods stolen in Massachusetts is $7,618.87, Smith wrote in his report.
Quispe was arrested on Aug. 14 after allegedly taking part in an organized retail crime theft in New Jersey. She was released with a summons to appear in Plymouth court, but failed to show up, according to Cruz.
The DA’s office obtained an arrest warrant and brought her back to Massachusetts last Friday.
On Tuesday, Plymouth District Court Judge Julie Bernard ordered her to surrender her passport and return to court Dec. 12.
Prosecutors had requested $500,000 cash bail.
”Retail theft collectively costs communities billions annually, undermining local economies and threatening the viability of storefronts in neighborhoods across the country,” Cruz said in a statement.
“Equally concerning, in recent years organized and habitual theft has become more brazen and violent, raising safety concerns for employees and customers, disrupting lives, jeopardizing livelihoods, and undermining the vitality of communities and neighborhood shopping districts,” he said.
It was unclear from court records whether Quispe has a lawyer. A lawyer was appointed to represent her at a hearing Nov. 8, but she has since withdrawn from the case, court records show.
Andrea Estes can be reached at andrea@plymouthindependent.org.