Saks Saleswoman Gets Fine, Jail, Community Service

Updated 7:38 AM EST, Tue, Jul 7, 2009

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A former Saks Fifth Avenue jewelry saleswoman has been sentenced to 90 days in jail and 100 hours of community service after being convicted of stealing from the luxury goods store. The diamond-hawker was also fined $96,000 for cheating on her commissions.

Cecille Villacorta, who's 52, was told to surrender Aug. 10. She was convicted of larceny in March and faced up to seven years in prison.

Despite yesterday's sentence, Villacorta left court feeling quite pleased, according to The New York Post. Prosecutors had wanted her to spend at least two years behind bars.

"It is very much a victory," Villacorta said.

Prosecutor David Nasar says Villacorta's scheme included refunds on items customers never bought or returned, and giving clients unauthorized discounts.

Nasar says this kept customers happy and allowed Villacorta to ring up $27 million in sales and collect hundreds of thousands in bonuses from 2000 to 2006. He says Saks lost $1.4 million in the scheme.

Jurors acquitted Villacorta of stealing $1 million from the megastore after she claimed Saks OK'd those types of behaviors because its policy is "keep the customer happy," according to the Post.

Defense lawyer Joseph Tacopina says his client will appeal immediately.

Copyright Associated Press

First Published: Jul 6, 2009 1:21 PM EST

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{"comments":[{"body":"Jurors acquitted Villacorta of "stealing" $1.4 million which were credits to her customers (NOT credits given to herself, friends and/or family memebers) to prevent customers from returning items...Horever, the disconnect here is she was acquitted of the $1.4 million but convicted of receiving $48,000 in commissions as a result of the alleged $1.4 million of which she was acquitted (?) and also convicted of falsifying business records because the alleged $1.4 million in credits were supposedly "unauthorized" therefore false and again which she was acquitted of! How could she be acquitted of the major charge and convicted of the lesser charges that are resultant from the major charge??? No wonder she has a civil case against Saks for 'malicious prosecution'...She is represented by Phillips Nizer the legal giant that put Saks to its knees when Saks pled guilty to cheating a vendor, Phillips Nizer's cllient, in illegal chargebacks. This elaborate scheme spanned more than a decade and three executives were asked to resign. Were these executives prosecuted? One of them Don Watros is now CFO of Lord & Taylor and the other Brian Martin is the brother of ex-Saks chairman R. Brad Martin was even granted $1.4 million in stock options before he left...Justice for all...???","createdAt":"29 Sep 2009 13:03:54 GMT","fromUserId":13093523,"isDefaultUserIconUploaded":false,"isDisabled":false,"isVisible":true,"messageId":976106,"pathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","reviewed":true,"updatedAt":"20090929084725","username":"DVna"},{"body":"Immediately alright, Cecille Villacorta's sentence is stayed and her appeal granted by the appellate courts granted "immediately" after her sentencing. It seems that prosecutor David Naser is NY's answer to former prosecutor Mike Nifong in the Duke Lacrosse Boys' case?","createdAt":"13 Sep 2009 05:13:24 GMT","fromUserId":7918844,"isDefaultUserIconUploaded":false,"isDisabled":false,"isVisible":true,"messageId":767204,"pathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","reviewed":true,"updatedAt":"20090813055530","username":"anonymous_user"}],"media":{"isPublicTaggingAllowed":false,"uploadToAkamai":"","categories":"","pathToMedia":"331744_50041552","adminTags":"ct_article,sid_331744,sid_333224,sid_525222","uploadedByPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg?t=1248875781749","views":98,"uploadedByName":"nbc_editor","isAdultContent":false,"updatedAt":"13 Sep 2009 05:13:23 GMT","country":"","pathToPreview48X48":"user/defaultAudio_48x48_C.jpg","inappropriateFlagCount":0,"isRatedByMe":"F","tags":"","originalFileFormat":"","isFavorite":"F","userId":7918858,"name":"Saks Saleswoman Gets Fine, Jail, Community Service","description":"A former Saks Fifth Avenue jewelry saleswoman has been sentenced to 90 days in jail and 100 hours of community service after being convicted of stealing from the luxury goods store. She was also fined $96,000.","createdAt":"13 Sep 2009 05:13:22 GMT","isVisible":true,"postalCode":"","title":"Saks Saleswoman Gets Fine, Jail, Community Service","isPublicCommentingAllowed":true,"stateOrProvinceName":"","author":"","reviewed":true,"updatedBy":7918858,"city":"","pathToPreview":"","type":"externalMedia","uploadToLimelight":"","votes":0,"averageRating":0},"payload_type":"json","status":"1","error":""}

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