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on April 30, 2024
The alleged mastermind of an $8 million crime ring defaulted on online payday loans no credit check and was evicted out of at least one of her homes even before she became a cosmetic theft 'queenpin.'
Michelle Mack defaulted on her nearly $200,000 loan that she took out to run her wholesale novelty items business that was based out of Mesa, Arizona, according to the 2013 court documents obtained by DailyMail.com.
Former friends said the glamorous blonde always had a plan to make a quick buck and was already running a small operation even before she married Kenneth Mack in 2007.
Before she was sued in 2013, Mack ran an online payday loans no credit check business selling hand painted wineglasses and delicate glass/crystal nail files imported from the Czech Republic.
'It was actually a very big operation even before I got there in 2015 or 2016 and she employed more than 10 people,' a former employee, Michelle Hermann, told DailyMail.com.
'At the time, hand painted wineglasses were very popular and we sold wholesale to a lot of other stores.
Hermann added, 'As far as I knew, she ran a legitimate business back then, so I was pretty shocked when I heard what she was recently arrested for.'
Michelle and Kenneth Mack at their wedding. The California couple was arrested in December for allegedly running a national theft ring that employed others to steal cosmetics and other items from stores such as Ulta, Sephora, Bloomingdales and LensCrafters
Mack, 53, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. She was arrested at her home in Bonsall, Calif
Police described the haul as a 'mini-market' after discovering it laid out warehouse style in the 4,500 square foot mansion in Bonsall
Ulta was one of the many stores hit by the 'California Girls' criminal operation
The mother of three- who was arrested on December 6- is facing multiple federal charges for allegedly paying others to steal cosmetics from stores like Ulta, Sephora and Bloomingdales.
Mack then allegedly resold the stolen goods at deep discounts- as much as 50% off- on her online payday loans no credit check Amazon store, which has since been shut down.
Amazon told investigators the outfit racked up sales worth $8 million since 2012, including nearly $2 million in 2022 alone.
Mack's gang, dubbed the 'California Girls' by investigators, operated in more than a dozen states and targeted at least 231 Ulta stores.
Investigators said they found more than 100,00 items in the Macks' Bonsall garage worth about $387,000 when they were arrested in December.
Mack, her husband Kenneth and seven others also have been charged in connection with the theft scheme.
Hermann said Michelle was 'barely there' when she owned the nail file and wineglass business in Arizona around 2015.
'She was very nice when I worked for her, doing invoicing and other things, but she wasn't in the office a lot,' Hermann said of Mack.
'A lot of people have double lives that we just don't know about, but she definitely didn't sell any make-up or anything like that back then.'
However, financial troubles started earlier for the Macks.
By 2010, Michelle defaulted on online payday loans no credit check she took out against her Arizona home, according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com.
The Macks were evicted in July 2010 from their home in Chandler, Arizona after they failed to pay their mortgage.
They almost lost another home about a month later in Higley, Arizona after defaulting on another $200,000 loan, according to court records.
The bills continued to pile up for the couple.
In 2013, a judge ruled they had to pay the nearly $200,000 that Michelle borrowed to operate her novelty wineglass and nail file business.
Before running her California criminal syndicate, Michelle Mack operated a business that sold fun hand painted wine glasses
One of Mack's first business ventures also sold delicately painted glass and crystal nail files. She sold off the business in 2017 and started renting her Gilbert, Ariz. home for weddings
Hermann said she eventually bought the glass and crystal nail file business portion of 95 & Sunny Inc. from Mack around 2017.
Meanwhile, the entrepreneurial couple pivoted to another venture- San Tan Mountain Weddings & Events- and used their new 4,447-square foot mansion in Gilbert, Ariz. to rent out for weddings and other events.
The five bedroom home had an expansive back yard nestled between scenic desert hills.
The Macks' wedding business including decorating and renting out their spacious five-bedroom home
The Macks' wedding and events planning business was run out of their Gilbert, Arizona estate
Outside of renting their home, the Macks also offered all-inclusive wedding packages for decorations and liquor- yet another income stream for the struggling couple.
A 2017 Facebook post from their wedding business venture showed a picture of a smiling Michelle and Kenneth during their own nuptials:
'I will always remember the love in your eyes and the warmth of your smile the day we were married ten years ago. Happy anniversary my love.'
The wedding rental venture, however, eventually fizzled and the couple moved their family to a suburb in San Diego, Calif.
A wedding tribute posted on the San Tan Mountain Wedding & Events Facebook page, which was ran by Michelle Mack
The Macks would later try to replicate their wedding business at their $2.75 million Bonsall, Calif. mansion and vineyard property, which they rented out in Airbnb.
The Bonsall home, which is now listed for sale, was the main hub of the make-up theft operation, according to a criminal complaint and federal search warrants obtained by DailyMail.com.
An aerial shot of the Macks' $2.75million Bonsall, Calif. property, which includes a 3 1/2-acre vineyard, winery and private stone chapel
Hermann said she is still shocked after she watched news video footage of Michelle, still dressed in pink and white pajamas, being led out of her Bonsall mansion in handcuffs.
'It made me sick to my stomach because she has kids,' Hermann said.
'I feel for her kids and as far as I heard, the kids were there when she was arrested.
'She definitely was not involved in anything like this when we worked together because I would never get involved in anything stupid like that. I'm still in shock.'
Investigators found more than 10,000 stolen items inside the Macks' garage in Bonsall, Calif
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