Greenwich Police traveled to the York Correctional Institution, a high-security facility for women, to take custody of a woman wanted here for Larceny 3 and two counts of Violation of Protective Order stemming from an incident on July 11, 2020 and Organized Retail Theft, Larceny 3 and Violation of Protective Order – all class D Felonies – for a separate incident on Sept 1, 2020.
Paige Ishaya James, now 28, of Hartford was extradited to Greenwich from prison in Niantic. She was processed in Greenwich and brought to Stamford Superior Court the following day, Feb 15.
Greenwich Police say the July incident was a “grab-and-go” style larceny in the area of Greenwich Avenue.
A “grab-and-go” scheme is a type of theft where one or more perpetrators enter a retail store, grab as many items of clothing or other goods as they can carry, leave the store without paying for the merchandise, and depart in a waiting getaway vehicle.
According to Captain Mark Zuccerella of Greenwich Police, the additional charge of Violating a Protective Order was due to the arrestee and one of the other suspects having Protective Orders against each other.
Zuccerella said after her arraignment in Stamford, Ms James will be returned to prison in Niantic.
Last summer Ms James, also known as “Ishaya James,” was sentenced by US a District Judge in Hartford to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in an extensive commercial larceny spree.
The case stemmed from “Operation American Steal.”
According to the Dept of Justice, Operation American Steal was a long-term multi-agency investigation into numerous “grab-and-go” thefts from various retail fashion stores in Connecticut and nearby states. They said Ms James was part of a network of people who in 2019 and 2020 committed more than 50 grab and go thefts from Polo Ralph Lauren, TJ Maxx, Balenciaga, Burberry, Macy’s, Marshalls, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Tommy Hilfiger and other stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. They then transported the stolen merchandise to Connecticut and sold the items on the internet or the street.
The Dept of Justice said in a statement that Ms James participated in at least 28 thefts resulting in losses of more than $90,000.