6th Person Pleads In Connecticut Victoria's Secret Fraud Case

CONNECTICUT — A sixth person has been implicated in a six-figure fraud case involving Connecticut Victoria's Secret Stores.

Leonard C. Boyle, acting United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William S. Walker, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, announced that Sharnice Jackson, 20, of Hartford, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a conspiracy offense related to a scheme to defraud Victoria’s Secret stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the court proceeding before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall occurred via videoconference.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jackson and others were involved in a scheme through which they stole thousands of dollars from L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret stores.

As part of the scheme, case records claim, the co-conspirators shoplifted merchandise from Victoria's Secret stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts. They then returned the shoplifted merchandise through a "No Original Receipt" return, which allowed them to obtain gift cards for Victoria's Secret in the value of the stolen merchandise (the "Return Step"), according to case records.

The co-conspirators then redeemed the gift cards at Victoria's Secret stores for merchandise that slightly exceeded the value of the gift card, so that the excess amount was charged to a debit card connected to a co-conspirator (the "Redeem Step"), case records show.

Members of the group then then returned the merchandise purchased in the Redeem Step, with the refund for the entire amount credited to the co-conspirator’s debit card (the "Refund Step"), case records show.

Between approximately October 2018 and October 2019, L Brands lost more than $100,000 as a result of the scheme, Boyle said.

Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17.

Jackson is the sixth defendant involved in this scheme to plead guilty. Shamonique Mackey, 22; Daijah Fagan, 21; Tamajah Hunter, 21; Leonna Jones, 22; and Imani Aitcheson, 21, all of Hartford, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and await sentencing.

A seventh defendant charged in this conspiracy is awaiting trial, Boyle said.