Almost every day at 10:30 a.m., two women met, then went to work, hitting metro area stores and stealing clothes that they later resold, according to police.
But Gwinnett County police arrested Marguita Clay and Brandi Arlene Hines, suspected of being serial shoplifters, Channel 2 Action News reported. And investigators believe the two may have swiped as much as $100,000 worth of merchandise from stores such as Ross, Marshalls and T.J. Maxx.
After Clay and Hines were arrested, investigators searched the women’s homes, where they found hundreds of items of clothing with price tags still on, police told Channel 2.
Police believe the two women went into stores and took clothes into the dressing room, where they removed the tags and sensors and put them on the clothes they were wearing. Then, the two allegedly put their old clothes back on the racks and left the stores in stolen clothes.
Stores in Atlanta, Smyrna, Lawrenceville, Johns Creek and DeKalb and Henry counties were hit during the three days police followed the pair, according to the report.
Clay and Hines were each charged with theft by shoplifting, racketeering and possession of tools for commission of a crime, Gwinnett jail records showed. Hines was also charged with drug possession. Both were being held without bond Wednesday night.
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