Chearia Broughton, 38, of Detroit, was sentenced on Apr. 17 to one year of incarceration by Judge Wanda Evans in Wayne County’s 3rd Circuit Court for leading a large-scale theft operation targeting Ulta Beauty stores across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that Broughton had pleaded guilty in March to one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise and was ordered to pay $29,698 in restitution to Ulta Beauty.
Broughton’s sentencing highlights the efforts of law enforcement and state officials to address organized retail crime affecting local businesses. According to authorities, her group committed more than thirteen “push-out” thefts at Ulta locations during October and November 2023. The method involved entering stores, seizing high-value items quickly, and fleeing into a waiting vehicle. Total losses from these incidents exceeded $30,000. Investigators say Broughton sold the stolen goods on Facebook Marketplace.
The case was investigated through cooperation between the FORCE Team—created by the Attorney General’s office—corporate investigators from affected retailers, Michigan State Police detectives, and several local police departments including 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,” Nessel said at the time of Broughton’s plea. “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… We remain committed to ensuring that those who lead these dangerous operations face the full weight of the law.”
The FORCE Team was established in January 2023 as what is described as a first-in-the-nation unit with embedded staff from the Department of Attorney General dedicated solely to combating organized retail crime. It works alongside federal agencies such as the FBI’s Detroit Fraud and Financial Crimes Task Force as well as corporate partners like Sam’s Club/Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Rite-Aid, Amazon,and Lowe’s.
According to the official website of Michigan Department of Attorney General the department advances social efforts through actions against human trafficking while also supporting vulnerable populations statewide. The department also focuses on serving residents through public service initiatives according to its official website. Dana Nessel is identified as Michigan’s 54th attorney general according to state records. The agency exercises authority throughout Michigan with an aim toward safeguarding residents as reported by its official site, including influencing policy such as drafting Clean Slate legislation for expungement opportunities in 2019 according to its website.