A Texas woman has been sent to federal prison for her role in a multi-million dollar interstate theft ring involving shoplifted goods being sold on the online marketplace eBay.
Kim Richardson of Dallas pleaded guilty to charges on 17 December 2019 and was sentenced on Thursday to serve 54 months plus three years of supervised release.
She will also pay $3.8 million in restitution, US Attorney Ryan Patrick announced.
Richardson admitted that she participated in the conspiracy from August 2000 to April 2019.
During that time she shoplifted from stores as she travelled across the US selling items on eBay or via direct internet sales.
Items were sent through the USPS, FedEx, and UPS.
In handing down the sentence, US District Judge Andrew Hanen acknowledged that it would be virtually impossible to identify all of the victims, so long-running was the scheme.
A release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas says that Richardson stole items from numerous retail stores using shoplifting tools to disable security devices. She would then exit the store by placing the stolen merchandise in a large black bag she carried.
Richardson assisted in the sale of the items on the internet as well as packaging and mailing the stolen items.
Buyers sent approximately $3.8 million throughout the scheme into four PayPal accounts linked to Richardson.
Richardson was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a US Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Secret Service and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant US Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.
