Monique Pruitt, the owner of Ava Nicole Bridal Suite in Arlington Heights, has pleaded guilty to theft charges after being accused of defrauding her customers.
An investigation by the ABC7 I-Team in 2023 revealed that multiple women claimed Pruitt charged them hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars for wedding dresses that were never delivered. Despite promising refunds, Pruitt allegedly ghosted the customers, leaving them without their dresses or their money.
In an initial report, Pruitt admitted to the I-Team that she was responsible for the undelivered dresses and promised to refund all affected customers. However, the women reported that they still had not received their money back.
Arlington Heights police arrested Pruitt, charging her with felony theft by deception. On Tuesday, she pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court sentenced Pruitt to two years of probation and ordered her to pay $2,300 in restitution to the victims.