NEW JERSEY MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR GRAND LARCENY AND OTHER CHARGES IN BALENCIAGA ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Ali Harris was sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison for his part in stealing merchandise from the luxury retail store Balenciaga in East Hampton earlier this year.

“At the time of this indictment, I pledged that those who commit crimes like this in Suffolk County will be prosecuted and sent to prison. This is another step towards fulfilling that promise,” said District Attorney Tierney. “This defendant and his accomplices brazenly stole property and put others at risk during their flight. Crimes like this diminish the quality of life for our residents and business owners, and will not be tolerated.”

In addition to pleading guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Harris pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Second Degree, both class C felonies. His co-defendant Wazir Rodgers was sentenced to 3 to 9 years’ incarceration in October of 2022, and co-defendant Jamal Johns was sentenced to 3.5 to 7 years’ incarceration in November of 2022.

Ali Harris, 28, was arrested on March 3, 2022 after he, along with Jamal Johns, 26, Wazir Rodgers, 25 and Baseemah Davis, 34, all of Newark, New Jersey, were captured on surveillance video allegedly stealing nearly $94,000 worth of handbags from the Balenciaga luxury retail store in East Hampton, along with a yet to be identified woman.

The video showed that at approximately 1:30 p.m., a female subject (who remains at-large) entered Balenciaga wearing a pink ski-type mask over her face and sunglasses. The woman appeared to be on her cell phone as she walked around the store and looked at various handbags. After a short time, she asked a store employee to check if they had a shoe in a particular size.

As alleged in court documents, when the employee attempted to retrieve the shoes for their female accomplice, Harris, Rodgers, Davis and Johns, rushed into the store and hurriedly began taking luxury handbags from the shelves. After taking several bags each, all five individuals ran out of the store. They then got into a Dodge Durango and fled.

Responding officers from the East Hampton Village Police Department (EHVPD) located the fleeing Durango and began a pursuit. Shortly afterwards, a New York State Trooper observed the Durango and initiated a pursuit. The Trooper pursued the Durango as it got off Sunrise Highway at Exit 62 and headed north on Route 111. That pursuit had to be terminated due to safety concerns, as the Durango was traveling at speeds more than 100 mph and was observed veering into oncoming traffic lanes. The Trooper saw the Durango heading westbound on the LIE with smoke coming out of the rear of the vehicle. He followed the vehicle from a safe distance and observed it exit the LIE at Exit 69. The Trooper then observed the subjects exit the Durango. Three of them ran toward a wooded area just north of their location while two subjects remained near the vehicle.

An ensuing search of the area led to the arrests of Harris, Johns, Rogers, and Davis, as well as the recovery of 34 of the stolen handbags. An investigation to locate the unidentified female is ongoing.

Harris was sentenced today before Acting Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Anthony Senft. He was represented by Jason Bassett, Esq.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James J. O’Rourke, IV, of the Major Crime Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Johanna Poremba of the Case Advisory Bureau.

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Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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