Man Sentenced For Theft Of $94K+ In Balenciaga Bags In Hamptons: DA

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A New Jersey man was sentenced Friday to three to nine years in prison for his part in stealing almost $94,000 worth of handbags from the Balenciaga store in East Hampton in March, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Ali Harris, 28, pleaded guilty in October to second-degree grand larceny, as well as second-degree criminal possession of stolen property, felonies, Tierney said.

Harris was arrested on March 3 after he, along with Jamal Johns, 26, Wazir Rodgers, 25, and Baseemah Davis, 34, all of Newark, New Jersey, were captured on surveillance video stealing the handbags from the Balenciaga luxury retail store, along with a yet to be identified woman, Tierney said.

The video showed that at 1:30 p.m., a female, who remains at-large, entered Balenciaga wearing a pink ski-type mask over her face and sunglasses, the DA said. She appeared to be on her cell phone as she walked around the store and looked at various handbags. After a short time, she asked a store employee to check if they had a shoe in a particular size, Tierney added.

According to court documents, when the employee attempted to retrieve the shoes for their female accomplice, Harris, Rodgers, Davis and Johns rushed into the store and hurriedly began taking luxury handbags from the shelves, prosecutors said.

After taking several bags each, all five individuals ran out of the store, got into a Dodge Durango and fled, authorities said.

East Hampton Village Police officers located the Durango and began a pursuit; shortly afterward, a New York State Trooper saw the Durango and pursued the vehicle, Tierney said.

The trooper followed the Durango as it got off Sunrise Highway at Exit 62 and headed north on Route 111, but the pursuit had to be terminated due to safety concerns — the Durango was speeding more than 100 miles per hour and was seen veering into oncoming traffic lanes, the DA said.

Next, the trooper saw the Durango heading westbound on the Long Island Expressway with smoke coming out of the rear of the vehicle; he followed the vehicle from a safe distance and observed it exit the LIE at Exit 69, the DA said.

The trooper then observed the thieves exit the Durango; three of them ran toward a wooded area just north of the spot while two remained near the vehicle.

An ensuing search of the area led to the arrests of Harris, Johns, Rogers, and Davis, as well as the
recovery of 34 of the stolen handbags, Tierney said.

An investigation to locate the unidentified female is ongoing.

Rodgers was sentenced to three to nine years’ incarceration in October and Johns was sentenced to 3.5 to seven years’ behind bars in November, Tierney said.

“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,” 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.”