St. Louis, MO - Two defendants of thirteen charged were sentenced yesterday in the smash and grab theft of more than $100,000 in Chanel purses from the Saks Fifth Avenue department store at Plaza Frontenac on Nov. 26, 2016. According to the plea agreements of various defendants, a large group of individuals entered the Saks Fifth Avenue store shortly after the store opened on Saturday November 26th, proceeded to the Chanel boutique within the store and ripped numerous Chanel handbags from the shelves. In less than five minutes, the group departed from the store and entered two waiting vehicles. After an extended chase, one of the vehicles and approximately half of the stolen purses were stopped near Litchfield, Illinois.
Darius Bowdry, 22. And Keyshyala Thomas, 22, both of Chicago, Illinois were sentenced for interstate transportation of stolen property today. Both defendants appeared before U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig. Bowdry received a sentence of 18 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release. Thomas received a sentence of 30 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release. Both defendants were ordered to pay Saks Fifth Avenue $159,185 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Frontenac Police Department with assistance from the Illinois State police, the Hamel, Illinois Police Department, the Montgomery County, Illinois Office of the Prosecuting Attorney and the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
