CANTON, Ga. — Two New York women have been sentenced to 20 years, including 10 years in prison, for orchestrating a widespread and coordinated retail theft ring that defrauded Walmart and Target stores across 21 U.S. states, including dozens of locations in Georgia.
Ebony Fallon Washington, 43, also known as Stephanie Harris, and Melissa Holland, 46, also known as Keisha Wilson, pleaded guilty to three counts each under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Washington accepted a negotiated plea on March 6, while Holland entered a non-negotiated plea on May 6. Superior Court Judge Jennifer L. Davis handed down their sentences, which include a decade behind bars followed by 10 years of probation.
Between June 2022 and August 2024, the duo carried out 187 thefts totaling nearly $141,000. Their scheme involved buying Apple AirPods using cash, removing the actual devices using tools, and replacing them with cheaper items. They then resealed the boxes and returned them for full refunds—money they often used to purchase more AirPods, which were then sold for profit.
The pair targeted 32 retail locations in Georgia alone, including in Acworth, Buford, Columbus, Kennesaw, Macon, and Woodstock.
Authorities began investigating in May 2024 after Walmart Global Investigations approached the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Gang and Organized Crime Unit, noting that Target was also tracking the suspects. The women were arrested on September 13, 2024, in Coweta County with assistance from the Woodstock Police Department and Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.
A search of their rental car revealed tools used in the thefts, hotel receipts linked to targeted stores, and five cell phones containing further evidence.
Despite only two Cherokee County stores being directly impacted, prosecutors used Georgia’s RICO statute to address the scope of the criminal enterprise, allowing for charges even when crimes occur across multiple jurisdictions.
“These defendants operated in a coordinated effort with a specific plan in place,” said Assistant District Attorney Rachel Murphy. “Although only two stores in Cherokee County were directly affected, Georgia’s RICO Act enabled us to prosecute this broader criminal enterprise.”
District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway emphasized that the outcome demonstrates the county’s commitment to combating organized retail crime. “By holding these offenders accountable and imposing prison sentences, we are sending the message that those who engage in organized retail crime will be aggressively prosecuted in Cherokee County,” she said.
Washington and Holland were ordered to pay $134,951.86 in restitution—an amount adjusted for the value of recovered items. They must also complete 320 hours of community service, avoid contact with one another, are banned from all Walmart and Target locations, and are prohibited from entering Cherokee County.
This case is separate from a different retail theft prosecution recently announced by the Georgia Attorney General’s Office.
