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Fraudster pocketed $750K by reselling items stolen from luxury rental sites: prosecutors
A Michigan woman was arrested Wednesday for allegedly selling more than 1,000 designer duds she got on rental sites in a scheme that had her pocketing more than $750,000.
Brandalene “Brandy” Horn, 42, was nabbed at her Freeland home for allegedly stealing $823,000 worth of designer clothing from three unidentified rental companies under the username “cashhorn” between April 2022 and February 2024, according to the US Attorney’s office and federal prosecutors.
High-end brands — such as Farm Rio, Bottega Veneta and LoveShackFancy — appear on her Poshmark account, which remained active as of Wednesday night with plenty of items still up for grabs, including clothing from BHLDN and MadeWorn.
“As alleged, Brandalene Horn perpetrated a lucrative scheme in which she defrauded at least three victim companies, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of luxury and designer items, and then sold those stolen items online,” Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said.
“Horn now faces criminal federal charges for her alleged deceptive behavior and fraudulent activity.”
Horn was charged with one count of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
She faces a total of 50 years in prison, if convicted.
Horn created hundreds of online accounts to obtain the items from the rental sites, prosecutors said.
“After receiving rental items, including pieces worth thousands of dollars, Horn kept, instead of returned, the items from the victim companies and sold them on an e-commerce marketplace.”
The companies would try to charge Horn for the stolen items, but were unable to because she either disputed the charges with her credit union or canceled the card the purchase was associated with, prosecutors said.
Her accounts eventually got flagged and closed, but the Midwesterner would continue to open new accounts to acquire more luxury and designer goods to allegedly sell, they added.
In one instance, Horn sold a K.ngsley Cherie Gown, which retails for $1,100 on the designer’s website, for a whopping $189. However, her alleged fraud more than likely still made a profit, as the same gown goes for $180 be on Rent the Runway.
The US Attorney’s Southern District of New York Office began investigating Horn — who has several aliases — in June 2023 after one of the companies notified the office that they believed she was selling under “cashhorn” on Poshmark.
The company told the investigator, Deleassa Penland, that Horn had rented the Daisy Halter Maxi made by Mira Mikati, which retails for around $775, and was delivered to her on March 24, 2023.
The same dress was listed on Horn’s alleged Poshmark account, which Penland purchased on Oct. 23, 2023, under the name Michael Smith, alongside the Cherie dress and others. The orders were delivered to a PO box in Manhattan days later.
Both dresses’ tags contained residue on the label, indicating that Horn more than likely removed the heat-sensitive tag.
The investigation found Horn had allegedly sold 1,063 items she had stolen from the rental company.
The alleged fraudster was due before the Eastern District Court of Michigan Wednesday.
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Live news: Los Angeles sheriff confirms wildfire looting arrests
Los Angeles firefighters have managed to contain three smaller wildfires, though the largest fires remain uncontained as the southern California region continues to navigate one of its most destructive natural disasters.
The Woodley, Sunset and Sunswept fires have all been contained as of Thursday morning, authorities said.
The Palisades fire has spread 17,200 acres as of Thursday morning. Los Angeles Fire Department chief Kristin Crowley said wind gusts were up to 60mph and expected to resume throughout the day. She estimated that thousands of structures had been damaged.
Los Angeles County Fire chief Anthony Marrone said growth of the Eaton fire had been “significantly stopped”, but the fire — which has spread to 10,600 acres — had not been contained and more than 1,000 structures had been damaged.
The third largest wildfire, Hurst, has spread 855 aces and has also not yet been contained.
Read more here
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Photos: See the California wildfires' destructive force, in satellite images
This is a developing story. For the latest local updates head to LAist.com and sign up for breaking news alerts.
Fast-moving fires are blazing trails of destruction in the Los Angeles area, killing at least five people, injuring many more, and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. Satellite images by Maxar Technologies show homes and businesses before the fires started and the charred aftermath after one day.
The Palisades fire has burned more than 17,000 acres, including homes along the Pacific Coast Highway. The fire has also damaged landmarks across Los Angeles County, including some vegetation and trees on the site of the Getty Villa, a Greco-Roman art museum on the highway.
In the image from Jan. 8, the remains of homes in Altadena, Calif., near Marathon Road are seen from space after the Eaton fire blazed through the area. The Eaton fire has destroyed 10,600 acres, including parts of Altadena, north of Pasadena, an area bordering the Angeles National Forest.
Homes and businesses along Altadena Drive are seen burning in the image from Jan. 8.
The California Newsroom is following the extreme weather from across the region. Click through to LAist’s coverage for the latest.
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The 39th president will be buried later at his Georgia home. Here’s the latest.
A weeklong series of tributes to former President Jimmy Carter culminates on Thursday with a solemn state funeral in Washington that will bring together all five of the nation’s living presidents, who will temporarily put down their partisan swords to bid farewell to one of their own.
Mr. Carter, who has lain in state for the past two days at the Capitol, is being brought to Washington National Cathedral for a 10 a.m. service featuring all the rituals of a national send-off. Then he will be flown back to his hometown, Plains, Ga., for burial outside the modest ranch house where he lived most of his life and died last week.
The service represents the pinnacle of America’s honors to its 39th president, who sought to heal the nation after the traumas of the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War as he presided over a tumultuous time, from 1977 to 1981.
Here’s what to know:
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Eulogies from two presidents: President Biden will deliver a eulogy, and the eulogies written by former President Gerald R. Ford and former Vice President Walter F. Mondale before their own deaths will be read by their sons, Steven Ford and Ted Mondale. Mr. Carter defeated Mr. Ford in the 1976 election but they later became friends, while Mr. Mondale was his close partner for four years in the White House. Jason Carter, the former president’s grandson, and Stuart E. Eizenstat, a longtime friend and White House domestic adviser to Mr. Carter, will also deliver eulogies. Here is a look at the speakers and performers.
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Going home: Mr. Carter’s coffin will be brought from the cathedral to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for his last flight aboard a presidential jet used as Air Force One. After a final private service at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Mr. Carter taught Sunday school deep into his 90s, a motorcade with the coffin will make a last journey through Plains to the Carter home. Navy jets will conduct a flyover in missing-man formation and then Mr. Carter will be interred in a family plot next to Rosalynn Carter, his wife of 77 years, who died in late 2023. Here is the schedule for the day.
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Five living presidents: In addition to Mr. Biden, former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as President-elect Donald J. Trump, are also expected to attend, making the funeral the first gathering of the so-called presidents club since Mr. Trump’s election win in November. The same group is expected to gather again just 11 days later for his inauguration. Mr. Trump will be the odd man out among the presidents, who view him as a dangerous force and in some cases have denounced him harshly. Even Mr. Bush, the only other Republican in the group, has written in other candidates rather than cast a ballot for Mr. Trump.
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Day of mourning: Mr. Biden, who may be the surviving president who was closest to Mr. Carter, has declared Thursday a national day of mourning and closed the federal government to all but necessary operations while flags fly at half-staff. Here’s a look at the tradition.
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