Early last year, a collective of shoplifters swiped 34 purses from Balenciaga's flagship store in New York's tony Hamptons neighborhood. The thieves made off with over $94,000 in merchandise in a brazen robbery that occurred during the day.
At approximately 1:30 pm on a March 2022 weekday, Baseemah Davis and four others strolled into Balenciaga's Hamptons boutique. The crew rushed over to a display, nabbed handfuls of Balenciaga bags, and dashed outside into a waiting Dodge Durango.
Police gave chase immediately but the Durango couldn't keep the pace. It got a flat tire on the Long Island Expressway and its occupants raced outside into a nearby wooded area.
Police eventually apprehended all but one of the would-be Balenciaga thieves, recovering all of the handbags in the process.
Now, nearly a year later, Davis has been sentenced to two-to-six years in prison, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced on January 17.
"Large-scale retail theft results in consequences for our communities," said Tierney in a statement. These consequences are felt by store owners and by consumers, who ultimately must bear the costs of such activity through increased prices and the unavailability of certain goods."
Balenciaga, for its part, has remained silent on the affair and, in general, quite quiet since the explosive November 2022 controversy over its gifting campaign. However, the label is still beloved by celebrity clientele, with one glaring exception.
