Jonneasia Welcome, 21, and Kamel Pickens, 33, were each sentenced to up to three years in prison in Ulster County Court on Thursday, March 20, after pleading guilty to grand larceny.
An investigation found that Welcome and Pickens–along with several minors–traveled from Albany to the Ulta Beauty store in the town of Ulster in October 2023. They admitted to stealing more than 100 high-end items, including perfumes, valued at over $10,000, according to the Ulster County DA’s office.
The culprits were caught on surveillance video wearing masks and ransacking the store.
Pickens, who served as the getaway driver, led police on a high-speed chase that damaged a New York State Police vehicle and continued onto the Thruway. The stolen merchandise was eventually recovered, and the vehicle used was impounded.
Following the arrests, investigators with the Capital District Crime Analysis Center discovered that Pickens was allegedly the ringleader of a larger organized retail theft ring operating out of Albany. He recruited young women and minors to commit similar larcenies at retail stores in surrounding counties, prosecutors said.
“This is scary and dangerous to the employees, law enforcement, and the public,” said Ulster County DA Emmanuel Nneji. “In this county, we must treat them as the violent felonies which they are in common sense.”
Pickens has been held without bail at the Ulster County Jail since February 2024 due to his alleged pattern of thefts across multiple jurisdictions.
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