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 Jamal Johns was sentenced to 3.5 to 5 years in prison for his part in stealing merchandise from the luxury retail store Balenciaga in East Hampton earlier this year.

“As of today, all four of the defendants that we apprehended for this crime have pleaded guilty to stealing items that do not belong to them,” said District Attorney Tierney. “I can’t stress enough how important it is to drive my point that you cannot and will not be allowed to get away with taking property that does not belong to you. We are still looking for that fifth individual.”

In addition to pleading guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Johns pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree.

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

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 her, Rodgers, Harris, 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 of Sunrise at Exit 62 and headed north on Route 111. That pursuit also had to be terminated due to safety concerns as the Durango was traveling at speeds in excess of 100 mph and was observed veering into on-coming 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 Johns, Rogers, Harris, Davis, as well as the recovery of 34 of the stolen handbags. An investigation to locate the unidentified female is ongoing.
Johns was sentenced today before the Honorable Anthony Senft. He was represented by Steve Fondulis, Esq.

Davis pleaded guilty in August to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree.

Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19, 2022 before the Honorable Anthony Senft. Davis is being represented by the Legal Aid Society. Rodgers pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022 to the same charges was sentenced to 3 to 9 years of incarceration. He was represented by Steven Wilutis, Esq.

Harris also pleaded guilty to the same charges on October 20, 2022 and is scheduled for sentencing of 3 to 9 years of imprisonment on December 7, 2022. Harris is being represented by Jason Bassett, Esq.

This case is being 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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