• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Leadership
    • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
      Do you know your emotional intelligence?
      Addressing racism in the workplace
      Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
      Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
  • Topics
    • Leadership
      • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
        Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Addressing racism in the workplace
        Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
        Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
    • Editor’s Picks
      • The future is here
        A winding road
        Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        “Hold my beer”
    • On the Job
      • A winding road
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        I brought home a dog
        Six Mexican cartels designated as terrorist organizations
        Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
    • Labor
      • Building positive media relations
        LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
        Racing with a purpose
        Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
        Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
    • Tech
      • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and...
        Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and...
        The future is here
        How local police departments can combat cybercrime
        Your website is your front desk
    • Training
      • Training dipshittery
        Police Academy 20
        Using critical thinking to crack the case
        Navigating cultural and language barriers
        Why you should pocket carry
    • Policy
      • Consolidation in action
        California lawmakers push mask ban for officers, raising safety...
        Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
        California makes police misconduct records publicly available
        A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
    • Health/Wellness
      • Time and distance
        Meditation is hard because it’s not what you think
        Life off the clock
        Self-help for anxiety
        The warm path and the hot path
    • Community
      • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
        Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
        Turning over a new leaf
        Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids
        An unexpected reunion
    • Offbeat
      • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
        Pizza … with a side of alligator?
        Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
        Only in California?
        Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
    • We Remember
      • York County ambush leaves three officers dead, others critically...
        Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
        Team Romeo
        National Police Week 2025
        Honoring Fallen Heroes
    • HOT Mail
      • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • On the Job
    • A winding road
      Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
      I brought home a dog
      Six Mexican cartels designated as terrorist organizations
      Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
  • Labor
    • Building positive media relations
      LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
      Racing with a purpose
      Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
      Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
  • Tech
    • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and...
      Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and...
      The future is here
      How local police departments can combat cybercrime
      Your website is your front desk
  • Training
    • Training dipshittery
      Police Academy 20
      Using critical thinking to crack the case
      Navigating cultural and language barriers
      Why you should pocket carry
  • Policy
    • Consolidation in action
      California lawmakers push mask ban for officers, raising safety...
      Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
      California makes police misconduct records publicly available
      A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
  • Health/Wellness
    • Time and distance
      Meditation is hard because it’s not what you think
      Life off the clock
      Self-help for anxiety
      The warm path and the hot path
  • Community
    • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
      Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
      Turning over a new leaf
      Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids
      An unexpected reunion
  • Offbeat
    • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
      Pizza … with a side of alligator?
      Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
      Only in California?
      Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
  • We Remember
    • York County ambush leaves three officers dead, others critically...
      Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
      Team Romeo
      National Police Week 2025
      Honoring Fallen Heroes
  • HOT Mail
    • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Search

Offbeat

Michigan woman charged in lucrative designer clothing rental fraud scheme

APB Team Published March 1, 2024 @ 12:00 pm PST

iStock.com/filadendron

A 42-year-old woman from Freeland, Michigan, has been arrested and charged with mail fraud, wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property in connection with an alleged fraudulent scheme involving designer clothing rentals and online sales.

The charges were announced by Damian Williams, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, following an investigation by federal prosecutors.

According to the allegations outlined in a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Brandalene Horn engaged in a fraud operation spanning from at least April 2022 through February 2024.

Horn reportedly opened hundreds of accounts with at least three victim companies that provide subscription-based clothing rental services, enabling customers to access and rent high-end apparel and accessories, including luxury designer items.

Instead of returning the rented items as per the terms of the rental agreements, Horn is accused of keeping them and subsequently selling them on an e-commerce marketplace.

The items, which included pieces worth thousands of dollars each, were allegedly listed for sale using the victim companies’ proprietary photographs and item descriptions.

Examples of items sold were Bottega Veneta sunglasses, a Zadig & Voltaire blazer and a Tory Burch sling bag. All items were sold at a fraction of their market value.

Prosecutors claim that Horn’s fraudulent activity extended to disputing charges for the stolen items with her credit union or canceling the credit and debit cards she had provided to the victim companies.

When her accounts were flagged or closed due to suspicious activity, Horn allegedly circumvented these measures by opening new accounts to continue stealing and selling luxury and designer goods.

The complaint further alleges that Horn stole over 1,000 items valued at more than $823,000 from the victim companies during the period of the scheme.

She is accused of selling these stolen items online for over $750,000.

In one specific instance detailed in the complaint, Horn is said to have listed a designer gown by K.Ngsley, valued at $1,390, for sale at $189 on an e-commerce marketplace, using the same photograph from a rental site.

DA Williams commented on the case, stating: “As alleged, Brandalene Horn perpetrated a lucrative scheme in which she defrauded at least three victim companies, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of luxury and designer items, and then sold those stolen items online.”

If convicted, Horn faces significant penalties, including a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud and wire fraud, and a maximum sentence of 10 years for interstate transportation of stolen property.

The investigation leading to Horn’s arrest was praised by Mr. Williams, who commended the exceptional investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, as well as the assistance provided by the New York State Police and the Michigan State Police.

The charges against Horn are accusations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Efforts to reach lawyers representing Horn for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Connie L. Dang and Katherine Cheng overseeing the prosecution.

Categories: Offbeat Tags: Michigan, DOJ, District Attorney, fraud, designer clothing, scheme, rental clothes, Damian Williams, Brandalene Horn, luxury brand

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • NLEOMF thanks supporters for a successful Police Weekend
  • Training dipshittery
  • Time and distance
  • Meditation is hard because it’s not what you think
  • Police Academy 20
  • Life off the clock
  • Self-help for anxiety
  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Announces August 2025 Officers of the Month
  • Justice Federal Credit Union stands ready to offer members special assistance in the event of a federal government shutdown
  • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and emergency alerts

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The future is here

The future is here

August 21, 2025

A winding road

A winding road

August 20, 2025

Do you know your emotional intelligence?

Do you know your emotional intelligence?

August 17, 2025

Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding

Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding

August 11, 2025

Policies | Consent Preferences | Copyright © 2025 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.