Up-to-date York City faces charges in an organized retail theft ring that targeted Macy’s and other retailers

A Up-to-date York beauty store, just a few blocks from the Empire State Building, resold more than $1 million worth of stolen goods Macy’s and tons of other retailers, authorities said Wednesday.

Two Up-to-date York men have been charged with possessing more than $1 million in stolen goods and reselling them through their company, Rehana’s Cosmetics, a perfume and cosmetics store in midtown Manhattan, Borough District Attorney Alvin Bragg said at a news conference.

Approximately $212,000 worth of merchandise was stolen from Macy’s, with the remainder coming from there CVSAssist in rituals, Walgreens and Duane Reade owned by Walgreens, Ulta, Victoria’s secret, Bath and body activities and NHL Shop, Bragg said.

“Through our investigation, we discovered that Rehana’s Cosmetics was well known to shoplifters who were eager to bring them stolen items,” Bragg said. “We maintain that this provided a motive for the shoplifters to steal and, therefore, the defendants, in our opinion, were the perpetrators of the crime.”

Bragg alleged that Rehana’s Cosmetics pretended to be a “cosmetics and perfume store” and instead was found to contain hundreds of boxes filled with products not typically found in such stores, including designer handbags, over-the-counter medications, kitchen utensils and not only. He testified that the defendants obtained the stolen items from the thieves in order to resell them.

“The root cause we are alleging here is greed,” Bragg said. “They did it to make money. It’s a motif as aged as time.”

The fees are what retailers like Objective and Ulta are increasingly citing theft as a growing problem in their stores. In March, a months-long CNBC investigation revealed how police busted an organized retail crime ring that was stealing millions of dollars’ worth of cosmetics from Ulta stores and reselling them online. Amazon.

While Bragg couldn’t provide a specific number, when asked how many stores were likely engaging in similar activities, he noted that there had been “far too many assaults” on store employees where thefts occurred.

“By using a multi-pronged law enforcement strategy, we can permanently put a stop to retail theft, which will keep our store workers safe and sound, remove incentives to steal and resell stolen goods, and enable our retail sector to grow,” he said.

In a statement to CNBC, a Macy’s spokesperson said: “We appreciate the work of law enforcement and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and are providing them with any comments regarding this case.”

A CVS spokesman said the pharmacy is “grateful” for the work of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

“Our partnership with law enforcement is an integral part of our efforts to prevent organized crime groups (ORCs) from stealing and then selling stolen goods online. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the District Attorney’s Office as we work to combat ORC across Up-to-date York City,” the spokesperson said.

A Walgreens spokesperson told CNBC earlier this year that the chain takes steps to “safely prevent theft” and “provide the best possible service to patients and customers.”

The other retailers accused of stealing the items involved in the seizure did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.