Meet the Scammer who Sold High-End Clothes Worth $1 Million Secured on Rent

At a time when cost of living is high and people don't want to splurge too much on high-end clothing and accessories, almost everything is available on installments and rent. But while such options prioritize the convenience of consumers, there are always dubious characters looking for opportunities to manipulate these services. Brandalene 'Brandy' Horn, 42, was apprehended on Wednesday on charges related to an elaborate scheme where she purportedly pilfered nearly $1 million worth of high-end attire from platforms such as Rent The Runway. She is accused of putting up over 1,000 designer pieces on resale websites, after allegedly obtaining from clothing rental companies. She is currently facing charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen goods. 

Horn allegedly exploited hundreds of accounts to rent women’s clothing, subsequently absconding with the rented items and reselling them to unsuspecting customers on platforms like Poshmark. Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, asserted, "As alleged, Brandalene Horn orchestrated a profitable scheme, defrauding multiple victim companies, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of luxury and designer items, and then profiting from the illicit sales online."

Horn is now accused of purloining over $823,000 worth of designer garments from three rental companies as part of the intricate fashion scam. She reportedly managed to vend at least 1,063 pilfered items from the rental company, while she was operating under the username "cashhorn" on Poshmark from April 2022 to February 2024.

Horn allegedly tampered with luxury item labels, evidenced by residue on dress tags, suggesting the removal of heat-sensitive tags. The items in question encompassed esteemed brands such as Selkie, Bottega Veneta, LoveShackFancy, BHLDN, and MadeWorn.

"Horn now faces criminal federal charges for her alleged deceptive behavior and fraudulent activity," Federal prosecutors said. "Upon receiving rental items, including pieces worth thousands of dollars, Horn retained rather than returned the items to the victim companies, subsequently selling them on an e-commerce marketplace," they added.

Prosecutors noted that Horn's listings for the stolen items often featured the victim companies' proprietary photographs and item descriptions, closely resembling those used by the victim companies. She allegedly listed a $1,390 gown by K.Ngsley for $189, using the same photo from a rental site. Upon the companies' attempts to charge her for the stolen items, she purportedly contested the charges with her credit card company or entirely canceled her card.

The suspicious activities eventually led to her accounts being flagged and terminated. But even after that, she allegedly opened new accounts and procured more luxury goods for sale, according to prosecutors. "Thanks to the work of the prosecutors and investigators of my Office, Horn now faces criminal federal charges for her alleged deceptive behavior and fraudulent activity," Williams said.

If convicted, Horn faces up to 30 years in prison; the mail and wire fraud charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years and the interstate transportation of stolen property charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.