Monette "Mona" Mejia, a popular influencer who sells used fashion items, has been charged with aggregate theft after hawking a fake reality series, authorities say.
A popular social influencer in Texas who used Poshmark to sell used clothing has been arrested for theft after she allegedly bilked investors and retailers of tens of thousands to join a reality series that didn't exist, authorities said.
Monette "Mona" Mejia, 44, was arrested last week following an investigation by the Houston Police Department's financial crimes division, authorities said. She is charged with aggregate theft for allegedly taking between $30,000 and $150,000 in used designer attire for a fake reality cable show, according to the criminal complaint by the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Mejia posted $10,000 bail and has been released, according to court records. Her arraignment is scheduled for April 2. Inside Edition Digital reached out for comment to Mejia, but has not heard back.
Court records show no attorney of record for Mejia.
The mother of four gained media attention after creating a Poshmark closet, a resale business she said earned more than $700,000 in its first year of operation. The Houston woman said she began by selling her old clothes, and her site became increasingly popular.
Police began investigating her in September 2023 after a complaint was filed by Kenneth and Loretta Cuadra, the owners of First Dibs resale clothing and accessories in Harris County, authorities said.
The Cuadras said Mejia had contacted them nine months before, asking them to join her in “fashion reality show” that would be shown on TLC, alleges a probable cause affidavit filed in court. Mejia claimed she would star in the show, and that the new program would be featured on "Good Morning America," the affidavit claims.
The Cuadras told investigators they had agreed to let Mejia use their store and had delivered a discounted inventory valued at more than $46,000 to her home, including shoes, purses and and other accessories from designers including Prada, Gucci and Christian Louboutin, authorities said.
The couple told police that after “several failed attempts to begin recordings for the TLC Resellers Reality Show,” they became suspicious and contacted TLC directly, police said.
They were told that Mejia had “no affiliation with TLC nor any pending shows,” the affidavit says. “The email further stated that all the claims the Mejias have been making over the couple of months was all a scam,” the affidavit added.
Investigators said three other women's clothing retailers reported that Mejia “had also scammed them using the same TLC reality TV show story," the affidavit alleges.
When contacted by police, Mejia claimed she had been scammed by someone she didn't know, who offered her a reality series deal, the affidavit says. She, in turn, offered that opportunity to others, she told police, according to the affidavit.
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