Prosecutors have officially charged David Joseph Gama in connection with a prolific series of retail thefts targeting Ulta Beauty locations across King County. While Gama has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent until proven guilty, he remains in custody at the King County Jail as the legal process moves forward.

The Charges and Allegations

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Gama with three counts of Organized Retail Theft in the First Degree. These charges are based on what investigators describe as a “common scheme or plan” involving 24 reported and confirmed thefts occurring over a 55-day period between late 2025 and early 2026.

According to charging documents, Gama allegedly entered various Ulta Beauty stores from North Seattle to Federal Way, took merchandise, and passed all points of sale without making any attempt to pay.

The charging documents are here.

Focus on West Seattle Thefts

A significant portion of the alleged crimes took place at the Ulta Beauty location in West Seattle (2600 Southwest Barton St). The documents detail a repeated pattern of theft at this specific store:

• December 1, 2025: Theft of merchandise totaling $989.00.

• December 6, 2025: Theft of merchandise totaling $433.00.

• December 7, 2025: A major incident resulting in a $1,620.00 loss.

• December 18, 2025: Theft of merchandise totaling $549.00.

• January 1, 2026: Theft of merchandise totaling $345.00.

• January 4, 2026: Theft of merchandise totaling $271.00.

Reasoning for Bail and Prosecution

The court has set Gama’s bail at $50,000, denying a defense motion for release or a reduction. Prosecutors argued that such a high bail is necessary because Gama is unlikely to appear for future court dates or voluntarily submit to the judicial process.

This reasoning is supported by Gama's extensive warrant history, which includes 56 misdemeanor warrants and 19 superior court warrants since 1989. At the time of his charging, he also had two active warrants and a pending theft case in Edmonds Municipal Court.

Perspective from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office

Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, noted that while most shoplifting is handled as a misdemeanor at the city level, Gama’s case was referred as a felony due to evidence of organized retail theft.

“These are not ‘just property crimes’ as we sometimes hear in court,” McNerthney said. “These are real crimes that affect employees of businesses large and small, and those costs are passed on to consumers, or stores close. There needs to be appropriate accountability”.

Rising Crime Trends

The prosecution of this case comes amid a sharp rise in economic crimes in the region. Last year, King County prosecutors filed 640 cases where the most serious offense was an economic or property crime—the highest number since 2019. This represents a significant 26% year-to-year increase from 2025, when 506 such cases were charged, and a nearly twofold increase from the 367 cases charged in 2023.