A Boston man is facing multiple charges after prosecutors say he stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from high-end Back Bay retailers in November, according to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office.
Peter Cutelis, 40, was arraigned Friday in Boston Municipal Court and pleaded not guilty to four counts of larceny over $1,200, possession of illegal drugs, and one count of “being a common and notorious thief,” according to Hayden’s office and court records.
Authorities said Cutelis has a history of theft-related offenses.
Judge Joseph Griffin set bail at $2,500 for each of the cases against, totaling $10,000, and ordered Cutelis held without bail on a fugitive from justice charge out of Brentwood, N.H., where Cutelis had failed to appear in court, according to Hayden’s office. Cutelis is due back in Boston court March 6 for a probable cause hearing.
Prosecutors say the robberies began Nov. 12 when Boston police said officers observed Cutelis go into the Lululemon store on Newbury Street and allegedly take clothes valued at more than $1,500 and left without paying.
Officers stopped Cutelis outside and recovered the merchandise, prosecutors said. During the arrest, Cutelis “became limp” and allegedly told officers he had ingested illicit drugs. Police said they found fentanyl, crack cocaine, and clonazepam in a glove in his pocket, according to prosecutors.
Four days later, officers responded to the Ralph Lauren Polo store on Newbury Steet after employees reported a theft. Security footage allegedly showed Cutelis taking two leather jackets, a cashmere sweater, and a leather bag totaling about $4,400, prosecutors said.
Two days after that, police were called back to the same store for another reported theft of three jackets valued at nearly $1,500, prosecutors said. Investigators later identified Cutelis from security video, Hayden’s office said.
On Nov. 21, police were called to the Lululemon store inside the Prudential Center for another reported larceny, prosecutors said. Loss prevention staff provided officers with a photo of the suspect accused of taking more than $2,150 worth of clothing.
One of the items contained a GPS tracking device, which officers used to locate Cutelis at the Copley MBTA station, prosecutors said. Police said they recovered multiple Lululemon items with tags still attached and returned them to the store, prosecutors said.
In a statement, Hayden said repeat retail thefts have a significant impact on businesses already operating in a difficult environment.
“The last thing our merchants need is someone making a habit of coming into their stores and leaving with a lot of high-value, unpaid-for merchandise,” he said. “We know the outsized impact repeat offenders can have on retail theft and we’re committed to reducing it.”
Hayden’s office said prosecutors partnered with Boston police and retailers in 2024 to launch the Safe Shopping Initiative, aimed at improving safety for shoppers and helping stores respond to shoplifting amid broader concerns about retail crime.
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com.