Man accused of stealing $30,000 from Back Bay retailers

A Boston man with a long history of shoplifting has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing more than $30,000 worth of merchandise from Victoria’s Secret and Lululemon stores in the Back Bay in August and September, prosecutors said Monday.

Essie Billingslea, 34, was already on probation for a separate theft incident in July when he was arraigned Oct. 7 on three counts of theft over $1,200 in the Central Division of Boston Municipal Court, according to a statement from the office of the district attorney in Suffolk.

During that hearing, Billingslea was ordered held on $5,000 bail. He was scheduled to return to court on November 19.

But during an Oct. 31 hearing on his probation violation, a judge ruled he was in violation and sentenced him to prison, the statement said.

Billingslea, who has committed twenty thefts since 2021, was known to police. His most recent offenses occurred in August and September.

Police responded to reports of theft at a Victoria’s Secret at 100 Huntington Ave. on Aug. 27. (the Prudential Center), authorities said. Store employees told police that a man carrying a reusable TJ Maxx bag entered the store and stole $1,558.50 worth of merchandise, the affidavit said.

Two days later, police responded to reports of theft at a Lululemon at 208 Newbury St., the statement said. The manager reported seeing a man wearing a yellow shirt and black pants steal from multiple boxes containing 145 pairs of leggings worth $29,120 and place them in TJ Maxx shopping bags, the affidavit said.

Police responded to another Lululemon on Sept. 4 at 776 Boylston St., where a store employee reported that a man had stuffed approximately 31 pairs of leggings worth $3,200 into a TJ Maxx bag after entering the store, authorities said .

Kiera McDonald can be reached at [email protected].