Woman Admits To Leading South Jersey Retail Store Theft Ring: Authorities

A South Jersey woman has admitted she lead n organized retail theft ring that shoplifted thousands of dollars in merchandise at stores in South Jersey, returning the items for gift cards, which were pawned for cash, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said this week.

Chiara K. Pender, 30, of Millville, pleaded guilty to a second-degree charge of leader of an organized retail theft enterprise.

Pender faces five years in state prison, and will have to pay $20,000 restitution for the losses sustained by the stores that were targeted.

In the same case, 26-year-old Thareick Archer, of Vineland, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree receiving stolen property. He faces one year, six months in prison.

Sentencing for both is scheduled for May 26.

Stores targeted included Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Target, Walmart, Home Goods, Lowes, Kohls, Burlington Coat Factory and Rite Aid. Pender admitted she recruited people into the ring and usually drove them to these stores.

Once there, Pender and her accomplices stole items from the stores, authorities said. Stolen items included clothing, electronics, and anything else of value that could easily be concealed.

Pender would then send another person into the store with the stolen items to make a non-receipted return of the stolen merchandise, or she would drive them to another location for the same chain store to return the items, authorities said.

If the return was accepted, the store issued a gift card for the value of the merchandise. These values ranged from just over $100 to more than $600.

Then, Pender sold the gift cards at pawn shops for cash. She typically got about half of the value of the store credit on the card.

This went on from January through June of last year, according to authorities. Pender was arrested on June 3, 2016, and other members of the ring were arrested over the course of the ensuing two months.

Two other members of Pender’s theft ring pleaded guilty previously and are awaiting sentencing.

Sharhonda D. Collins, 50, of Bridgeton, pleaded guilty to third-degree receiving stolen property. She faces a recommended sentence of three years in state prison under the plea agreement, but has a pending application for the drug court program.

Mark O. Rabb III, 30, of Millville, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree receiving stolen property and faces a recommended sentence of 30 days in jail.

The attached image of Chiara Pender was provided by the Attorney General’s Office