A Costa Mesa woman has been charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor counts after her arrest on Nov. 23 following an investigation by the California Highway Patrol Organized Retail Crime Task Force, officials said.
Ekaterina Zharkova, 38, was arrested on suspicion of stealing more than $328,000 worth of merchandise from stores like TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack and others in Costa Mesa, Tustin and Fountain Valley between October and November 2021.
Investigators believe she attempted to sell stolen merchandise through a luxury item online consignment store.
Zharkova was charged with four felony counts of grand theft, one felony count of receiving stolen property, and multiple misdemeanor counts of petty theft, according to the court filing. If convicted of all counts, she faces a maximum sentence of nine years and two months.
“Shoplifting and other retail theft is out of control across California as a result of reckless laws that have made the risk far less than the potential reward,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer in a news release. “These are not victimless crimes and if you engage in these kinds of outrageous theft schemes we’re going to arrest you, we’re going to prosecute you, and we’re putting you behind bars.”
In September, Zharkova pleaded not guilty to a separate felony grand theft charge and misdemeanor charge of possession of burglary tools, according to court records. A warrant has been put out after she failed to appear in court related to that case on Friday, according to a news release.
There is also another open felony grand theft case in Los Angeles filed in August, court records show. Zharkova also pleaded not guilty.
Her arraignment for the most recent case has been set for early next year.