Two women from Chicago have been charged in connection with a series of retail thefts that occurred last summer at the Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets in Wisconsin.
Criminal complaints filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court accuse 26-year-old Brianna M. Cotton and 30-year-old Nikhyra C. Steele of stealing over $7,400 in merchandise from the True Religion store on May 30, 2024. The women are also charged with stealing an additional $310 worth of items from Nike on June 13, 2024.
Each woman faces one felony count and one misdemeanor count of retail theft as parties to a crime. On Tuesday, Court Commissioner William Michel II authorized arrest warrants for both women and set a cash bond of $5,000 for each defendant.
According to the Pleasant Prairie Police Department, surveillance footage captured the women entering the True Religion store along with two other unidentified individuals. The group allegedly staged merchandise near the front of the store and then ran out with the items without paying. Store managers reported that the total value of the stolen goods exceeded $7,400.
Investigators say the same group visited several other stores, including Adidas and Nike. Security footage shows them moving between stores and vehicles. After attempting to steal items from Nike earlier in the day, the women returned two weeks later and successfully stole shoes and apparel worth over $300.
On the same afternoon, Chicago police arrested Steele and Cotton after a similar theft at a Lululemon store in the city. The women were identified through video footage, distinctive tattoos, piercings, and clothing, which matched descriptions from the Pleasant Prairie incidents.
Authorities also allege that Steele attempted to resell some of the stolen True Religion merchandise on Facebook. A collaboration between police from Pleasant Prairie, Gurnee, and Chicago led to the investigation, using surveillance footage and license plate readers to track the suspects.
If convicted, both women could face up to six years in prison for the felony charge and up to nine months for the misdemeanor charge. As of Tuesday evening, both women remained at large.
