Maple Valley woman charged in multi-county organized retail theft ring
SEATTLE - A Maple Valley woman has been charged for a string of organized retail thefts in Western Washington, the second person charged under the state's new Organized Retail Crime Unit.
The Attorney General's Office on Wednesday charged Shellonda Daniel with two counts of first-degree organized retail theft.
An affidavit of probable cause linked Daniel to thefts at 28 Ulta stores in King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom counties. These thefts totaled more than $200,000 in stolen fragrances and cosmetics, and prosecutors say Daniel stole anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 from each store.
The state law regarding organized retail theft was amended in 2022 to allow the Attorney General to aggregate multi-county thefts and file the charges in one county.
According to court docs, Daniel and her accomplices would enter Ulta stores and threaten the employees, in some cases hold a can of bear spray at them if they got too close.
RELATED: North Kitsap superintendent suspected of stealing campaign signs prior to special election
If convicted, Daniel faces 10 years in prison, plus $20,000 for each count of theft. She would also have to pay more than $200,000 in restitution for the stolen goods.