A coordinated law enforcement effort has resulted in the arrest of a 32-year-old New York woman, Shante Monique Allen, who is suspected of committing numerous incidents of return fraud in Ventura County, a chronicle of criminal audacity that exploits the lucrative but illegal profits from manipulating retail systems. The Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force reported that detectives arrested Allen on May 14 after linking her operations to an Ulta store in Moorpark and subsequent false returns at various locations.
The investigation, led by the VCORTTF and assisted by Simi Valley Police, revealed that Allen’s alleged return scams extended beyond Ventura County, as she was apprehended and cuffed on Vanowen Street in Los Angeles, where Allen, a repeat offender, discovered her scheme unraveling, her vehicle a trove of stolen goods from Ulta and Home Goods stores. The overall projected loss from Allen’s operations is around $35,000, a sample number of the blight of organized retail theft, which the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force estimates costs the local community nearly $10 million per year in foregone products and peace.
Allen was arrested and booked on felony charges including grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime, and use of false documents; she was later released on bail; her arraignment is scheduled for May 29th, where the charges will be presented in the full light of a courtroom; the saga follows the unveiling of another suspect still wanted in connection with this case, whose name is currently being withheld as investigations continue.
The public is encouraged to join this struggle, to report what they have seen or know, and to call the task force’s recorded line at (805) 383-8703 or the anonymous Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (800) 222-TIPS.
