The California ‘queen’ accused of masterminding an $8 million nationwide makeup heist will face more than five years in federal prison.
Michelle Mack, 53, received a deferred sentence of five years and four months to be set in January and was fined more than $3 million.
Mack pleaded guilty in February to running a gang called the “California Girls” that operated in more than a dozen states and targeted Sephora, Ulta, Bloomingdales and other cosmetics and luxury brand stores.
She and her husband, Kenneth, 60, were arrested in December after more than $300,000 worth of stolen property was found in their home, according to prosecutors, who said it was a fraction of what they had stolen since 2012.
Michelle Mack, 53, received a delayed sentence of five years and four months that will be set in January and was fined more than $3 million.
Mack’s gang operated in more than a dozen states and targeted at least 231 Ulta stores.
Mack, Kenneth and seven others have been charged in connection with the robbery scheme.
The couple were charged in February with 140 felony counts, including conspiracy to commit organized shoplifting and receiving stolen property, to which they pleaded guilty. Guilty of last month.
The judge is allowing Mack, a mother of three, to serve her sentence after Kenneth to ensure her children are well cared for.
She sold millions of dollars worth of stolen cosmetics on Amazon using the platform’s ‘Online Makeup Store’ for a fraction of the retail cost.
Records show Mack raised $1.89 million in 2022 alone.
One of the defendants in the robbery case received a sentence of three years and four months and the rest are currently pending, according to court records.
Her troubles began long before she became the queen of cosmetics theft.
Former friends said the glamorous blonde always had a plan to make a quick buck and was running a small operation even before she married Kenneth in 2007.
The judge is allowing Mack, a mother of three, to serve her sentence after Kenneth to ensure her children receive the necessary care. Pictured here, the couple on their wedding day in 2007.
Kenneth is currently spending five years and four months in prison for his involvement in the criminal network.
She ran an online business selling hand-painted wine glasses and delicate glass or crystal nail files imported from the Czech Republic.
“It was actually a very large operation even before I got there in 2015 or 2016 and she employed over 10 people,” former employee Michelle Hermann told DailyMail.com.
‘At that time, hand-painted wine glasses were very popular and we sold wholesale to many other stores.
Hermann added: “As far as I knew, she was running a legitimate business back then, so I was quite surprised when I found out why she had been arrested recently.”
However, court documents from 2013 showed that Mack defaulted on the nearly $200,000 loan he took out to run his wholesale novelty business based in Mesa, Arizona.
Mack ran an online business selling hand-painted wine glasses.
Part of her previous business was selling delicate glass/crystal nail files imported from the Czech Republic.
That year, Mack was ordered to repay nearly $200,000 he had borrowed for failed ventures.
Hermann said he eventually purchased the glass and crystal nail file business of 95 & Sunny Inc. from Mack around 2017.
Meanwhile, the entrepreneurial couple changed course and started another business, San Tan Mountain Weddings & Events, and used their new 4,447-square-foot mansion in Gilbert, Arizona, to rent out weddings and other events.
The five-bedroom home had a spacious backyard nestled among picturesque desert hills.
In addition to renting out their home, the Macks also offered all-inclusive wedding packages, including decorations and liquor — another source of income for the struggling couple.
The entrepreneurial couple changed course in 2017 and decided to start another business: San Tan Mountain Weddings & Events, and used their new 4,300-square-foot mansion in Gilbert, Arizona, to rent out weddings and other events (pictured).
A 2017 Facebook post from her wedding business showed a photo of Michelle and Kenneth smiling during their own nuptials:
“I will always remember the love in your eyes and the warmth of your smile on the day we got married ten years ago. Happy anniversary, my love.”
However, the wedding rental project ultimately fell through and the couple moved their family to a suburb of San Diego, where they purchased a $2.75 million home that is now for sale.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed felony charges against the couple in March, who originally pleaded not guilty.
“This is a multimillion-dollar criminal scheme. It was complex and orchestrated,” Bonta said in announcing the charges. “We’re not talking about your run-of-the-mill shoplifting.”
The organized crime network that engaged in robbery and theft was uncovered through text messages between the couple and their team of shoplifters.