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Ali Harris, of Newark, New Jersey, was sentenced to three to nine years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Dec. 16, after pleading guilty to second-degree grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, both felonies.
Prosecutors said Harris admitted to working with four others to target a Balenciaga store in East Hampton in March 2022.
Surveillance footage showed a woman wearing a pink ski mask and glasses enter the store at around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, according to investigators.
After browsing the store for a short time, she asked an employee to check if they had a shoe in a particular size.
When the worker went to get the shoes, Harris and three others rushed into the store and grabbed several luxury handbags from the shelves, prosecutors said.
All five then fled in a waiting Dodge Durango with nearly $94,000 worth of merchandise.
Their vehicle was quickly tailed by East Hampton Village Police as well as a State Police trooper, who followed the suspects onto Route 111.
The pursuit was terminated when the Durango reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour and was seen veering into oncoming traffic, according to prosecutors.
A trooper continued following from a distance and later watched as three suspects fled the vehicle and ran into a wooded area. The other two stayed behind.
Four suspects were eventually arrested, including 25-year-old Wazir Rodgers, 26-year-old Jamal Johns, and 34-year-old Baseemah Davis, all of Newark. Rodgers was sentenced to three to nine years in prison in October 2022, while Johns got 3 ½ to seven years the following month.
“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,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said.
“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.”
Police are still working to identify the female suspect.
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