TWO Target shoppers have been jailed for stealing more than $100,000 worth of items by using a sneaky “package” trick.
The thieving duo “operated in a coordinated effort” to carry out their audacious crimes across a whopping 21 states, said the prosecution.
The Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office reported that a multistate “organized retail theft scheme” led to 187 thefts being carried out.
According to CBS-affiliated WCTV, the group of New York thieves managed to steal merchandise worth almost $141,000 from Georgia and 20 other states between June 2022 and August 2024.
They only got caught when investigators were contacted by both Walmart and Target bosses.
For their involvement in stealing from two major retailers, Ebony Fallon Washington (also known as Stephanie Harris), 43, and Melissa Holland (also known as Keisha Wilson), 46, have been sentenced.
Each woman was sentenced to 20 years, including a decade behind bars, for operating an organized retail theft scheme, reported Fox 5.
They will spend the rest of their sentences on probation.
Washington and Holland had pleaded guilty to three counts of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act in March.
Their “retail theft scheme” centered on AirPod purchases at scores of Walmart and Target branches.
Prosecutors told the court they used cash to buy Apple AirPods.
They then removed the genuine AirPods from the packaging, and replaced them with cheaper dupes.
The official boxes were resealed to make them appear unopened.
Washington and Holland then returned the boxes to the Target and Walmart stores, where they demanded a full cash refund.
Some of the returned cash would be splurged on buying more AirPods – which were then sold for profit to “continue the cycle,” the court was told.
Assistant District Attorney Rachel Murphy said in a statement, “These defendants operated in a coordinated effort with a specific plan in place.
“Although only two stores in Cherokee County were directly affected, Georgia’s RICO Act enabled us to prosecute this broader criminal enterprise.”
The court heard there was a lot of work behind the scenes to snare the pair, after investigators at Walmart met officials at the Gang and Organized Crime Unit of the Cherokee County DA‘s Office in May 2024.
Two women sentenced for multi-state theft scheme
On September 13, 2024, Ebony Fallon Washington, 43, and Melissa Holland, 46, of New York, were arrested in Coweta County.
On March 6, 2025, they each pleaded guilty to three counts of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
From June 2022 through August 2024, the women stole nearly $141,000 in merchandise across Georgia and 20 other states.
Washington took a plea deal, while Holland pleaded guilty without an agreement with prosecutors.
On May 7, 2025, each woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing more than $100,000 in merchandise from Walmart and Target stores across multiple states, including dozens of stores in Georgia.
The judge also ordered Washington and Holland to pay $134,951.86 in restitution.
They were banned from Cherokee County, and are required to complete 320 hours of community service.
Sources: WCTV and Fox 5
It was there that they discussed a suspected theft ring also being tracked by their competitor, Target.
Both retailers probed the thefts and shared their findings with each other and law enforcement officials.
Washington and Holland were arrested in Coweta County in September 2024 with the help of the Woodstock Police Department and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.
During a search of the women’s vehicle, officers discovered receipts proving they had stayed at hotels near stores they had stolen from.
There were also special tools used to open the AirPods packaging.
The court was told that five cell phones were found with further evidence.
Washington entered a negotiated plea on March 6.
Her partner-in-crime entered a non-negotiated guilty plea on May 6.
BANNED
In addition to their incarceration, Superior Court Judge Jennifer L. Davis ordered them to pay $134,951.86 in restitution.
This “reflects the remaining balance after the value of recovered merchandise was deducted from the total theft amount,” the DA’s office said.
Washington and Holland have been banned from having any contact with each other as part of their probation.
They’ve also barred from entering all Walmart or Target stores upon their eventual release.
During sentencing, the women were informed they have also been banished from Cherokee County, and they must complete 320 hours of community service.
Afterwards, District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said, “Organized retail crime is a growing problem not only in our community, but nationwide.
“In Cherokee County, we judiciously use RICO indictments for individuals like these defendants who were clearly involved in an organized scheme which impacted stores locally as well as throughout the country.
“By holding these offenders accountable and imposing prison sentences, we are sending the message that those who engage in organized retail crime will be aggressively prosecuted in Cherokee County.”
The U.S. Sun has contacted Apple, Target and Walmart for comment.
