Contact: Beth Stone 508-584-8120
BROCKTON – A woman was sentenced to jail today for her role in an organized retail theft ring, Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced.
Today, Amalia Cinca, 36, pleaded guilty to one count each of Larceny Over $1,200, Organized Retail Theft, and Receiving Stolen Property. Brockton Superior Court Judge Brian Glenny sentenced Cinca to serve two years in the house of correction, The Commonwealth recommended that Cinca serve 2 to 3 years in state prison.
The plea comes after an active and ongoing investigation by Wareham Police and loss prevention investigators with Ulta Beauty. On January 7, 2024, Wareham Police responded to the Ulta beauty store in Wareham for a report of a past shoplifting incident. The store employee reported that they observed four females, including Cinca, and a juvenile, stuff approximately five bags worth of merchandise and exit the store with the bags, without payment. In total, it was determined that the four women stole $5,818 in products within a span of six minutes.
On January 8, 2024, Waterford, Connecticut Police contacted Wareham Police to report a theft at the Ulta store there, also involving female suspects. The maroon minivan they had been traveling in was impounded. Inside the van were black garbage bags containing numerous items, some with the price tags still attached, including cosmetics and perfumes. Ulta inventory scanners identified the merchandise to be from the Wareham store.
As a result of the investigation, which included use of surveillance video inside the store, Wareham Police sought and obtained criminal complaints. The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office entered the complaints into National Crime Information Center, and arrest warrants issued for the women.
The juvenile and Cinca, were arrested on January 23, 2024, by authorities at JFK International Airport in New York, as they attempted to board an airplane to Romania.
Andrea Lasmina Ungureanu, 19, and Adriana Bianca Dumitru, 32, were each indicted by a Plymouth County grand jury on one count each of Larceny Over $1,200, Organized Retail Theft, and Receiving Stolen Property. Ungureanu was arrested in Virginia. Dumitru remains at large, with a warrant pending for her arrest.
In April, 2024, the 17 year-old juvenile charged in this case pled delinquent to Larceny Over $1,200, and was sentenced to the state Department of Youth Services until the age of 18, the maximum sentence eligible in the juvenile court.
In January, 2024, DA Cruz announced the formation of the Plymouth County Organized Retail Theft Task Force, and hosted more than 50 members of law enforcement and retailers at the Brockton office. The intent is to work together with retailers, Chambers of Commerce, law enforcement, and others to address the issue of store theft.
“Retail theft collectively costs communities billions annually, undermining local economies and threatening the viability of storefronts in neighborhoods across the country,” DA Cruz said. “The impact of these crimes extends beyond the immediate financial losses suffered by the retailers. Organized retail theft operations, such as this one, have broader implications for society, including increased retail prices to compensate for losses, higher security costs for businesses, and a general sense of insecurity among consumers and employees. The intent of our Organized Retail Theft Task Force is to work together with retailers, Chambers of Commerce, law enforcement, and others to address the issue of store theft. We want to ensure that retailers are equipped and their security needs are met, and maybe also send a deterrent message to the public that this behavior is criminal and unacceptable.”
Assistant District Attorney Alexander Zane prosecuted the case.