Maple Valley woman charged in 28 Ulta thefts across Western Washington

On Wednesday a Maple Valley woman was charged with dozens of organized retail thefts spanning from Thurston to Whatcom County totaling over $200,000.

Twenty-six-year-old Shellonda Daniel is accused of 28 organized retail thefts at Ulta Beauty stores between Oct. 2022 and January 2023.

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Shellonda Daniel is accused of 28 organized retail thefts at Ulta Beauty stores between Oct. 2022 and January 2023. (Court documents)

In January 2023, an Ulta store field investigator reached out to the Attorney General’s Office for assistance in the investigation having already identified Daniel as the suspect.

Ulta handed over video evidence that they say showed Daniel, along with several accomplices committing thefts at Ulta stores in Thurston, Pierce, King, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties.

After pouring over hours of surveillance video and interviewing dozens of witnesses AGO investigators discovered a pattern.

The suspect and her multiple accomplices would grab an Ulta shopping basket and head to the fragrance section to remove high-end beauty products from open display cases. In some cases, they would put the items into their own bags other times they’d just take off with the store baskets.

As a result of the thefts, the stores began adding security tags and “spider wrap” to protect the products.

After that Ulta claims Daniel escalated, making verbal and physical threats and destroying store property to get the beauty products.

The threats included flashing a bear spray canister at staff and customers who got too close.

Ulta said Daniel destroyed displays, tossed glass cases, and dismantled shelves during the last few thefts.

All the thefts were filed together in King County Superior Court by Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s new Organized Retail Crime Unit under the state Organized Retail Theft statute.

The statute allows the Attorney General’s Office to combine retail thefts in multiple jurisdictions and file charges in one county.

This is just the second-ever felony criminal case filed by the Organized Retail Crime Unit, which was created in late 2023.

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