A man is accused of stealing $30,000 from a Back Bay retailer

A Boston man with a 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 Back Bay in August and September, prosecutors said Monday.

Essie Billingsley, 34, was already on probation for a separate theft incident in July when he was charged Oct. 7 with three counts of theft over $1,200 in the Central Division of Boston Municipal Court, according to a statement from the Suffolk District Attorney’s office.

Billingsley was held on $5,000 bail at that hearing. He was due back in court on November 19.

But during his Oct. 31 probation violation hearing, a judge found him in violation and sentenced him to prison, the statement said.

Billingsley, who has committed 20 burglaries since 2021, was known to police. He committed the last crimes in August and September.

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

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

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

Kiera McDonald can be reached at [email protected].