A Colton woman accused of taking part in a nationwide crime ring believed to be headquartered in Bonsall made her first court appearance Tuesday morning.
Alina Franco is charged with multiple felony counts, including conspiracy to commit organized retail theft. Her attorney entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf and denied any allegations.
According to the 35-page complaint filed by the California Attorney General, Franco had $67,504.33 worth of stolen beauty products and other goods at her home in Colton, when a search warrant was served on Dec. 6, 2023.
Federal investigators say Franco is one of as many as a dozen women hired to steal makeup and other goods from hundreds of stores across the country. Those stores include LensCrafters in Clairemont and Ulta Beauty in Mira Mesa, which was one of the 231 Ulta stores hit nationwide. Several Sephora stores were also targeted.
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In total, 140 counts have been filed against nine defendants. Those include 136 felony counts of grand theft, two counts of receiving stolen property, one count of conspiracy and one count of organized retail crime.
The complaint alleges Michelle Mack of Bonsall was the ringleader of the nearly $8 million crime ring. She’s accused of paying the women for their travel expenses and providing them with a list of retail stores across the country to target. Investigators say when a search warrant was served at her shared home with Kenneth Mack on Dec. 6, 2023, more than $300,000 worth of makeup and other products were recovered.
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A federal search warrant shows some of Mack's alleged accomplices sometimes mailed stolen goods to a Bonsall post office, where Mack allegedly has a company address listed under "Online Makeup Store." Authorities say she resold the products on Amazon.
NBC 7 is working to find out when the Macks and their other alleged accomplices will make their first court appearances.
Franco’s next hearing is set for April 19.
