LYNNWOOD—Two members of a Romanii organized crime ring with ties to Phoenix, Arizona, were arrested and booked into Snohomish County Jail earlier this month for alleged theft of $12,000 worth of cosmetics, Lynnwood Police reports.

On February 1, 2024, officers were on patrol when they responded to a theft in progress at a business on Alderwood Mall Parkway. When they arrived, they learned from a loss prevention employee that two subjects were stealing makeup products.

The loss prevention employee also recognized the same subjects from a previous theft on January 31, 2024. Officers took the subjects and their vehicle into custody, where they discovered over $12,000 in stolen cosmetics.

The evidence suggests the cosmetic products are being sold for pennies on the dollar and being shipped across state lines.

The subjects are believed to be a part of a Romanian traveling organized retail theft group. One was booked into jail for organized retail theft in the 1st degree and released the next day by an Everett District Court judge with no bail. The other subject, a juvenile, was released to the custody of their parents/guardian.

The stores hit were Kohl’s in the Lynnwood City Center and Sephora in the Alderwood Mall.

The crime ring is suspected of running illegal fencing operations and selling the items on Facebook marketplace.