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METRO DETROIT — Chearia Broughton, a 38-year-old from Detroit, was sentenced to one year in prison for organizing a high-volume theft ring targeting Ulta Beauty stores in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
According to a statement from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, the suspect organized multiple “push-out” thefts perpetrated on Ulta Beauty retail locations throughout the metro Detroit area on more than 13 occasions in October and November 2023.
The small, organized group was observed entering the storefront, grabbing as much high-value merchandise as they could carry or load into a shopping basket, and simply walking or running back out the front door into a waiting getaway vehicle. Total losses to retailers connected to the thefts exceeded $30,000.
Broughton would then sell the stolen merchandise on Facebook Marketplace. She was charged by the Department of Attorney General in November 2025, and she pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of conducting a criminal enterprise.
The investigation was a coordinated collaboration between local and state police agencies, corporate investigators, and more. Some departments involved includie the Michigan State Police, and the police departments of Grosse Pointe, Novi, Canton, Troy, Allen Park and Birmingham.
“When dismantling theft rings, we must investigate and prosecute organizers behind the scenes who profit from these crimes, and I am proud of my FORCE Team and our retail partners and law enforcement officers who helped stop this enterprise in its tracks and secure this conviction,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “We remain committed to ensuring that those who lead these dangerous operations face the full weight of the law.”
Broughton was sentenced by Judge Wanda Evans in the 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County on April 17. She was also ordered to pay $29,698 in restitution to Ulta Beauty. Broughton’s lawyer, Ben Gonek, was contacted for further comment, but did not reply by press time.
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