Ex-Saks Fifth Avenue personal shopper accused of stealing thousands from Boston store gets trial date

A trial date has been set for a former Saks Fifth Avenue employee who was accused of stealing $25,000 from the Boston store. 

Prosecutors say Suhail Kwatra, who worked as a personal shopper and stylist at the store for about 20 years, admitted to stealing about $429,000 over several years, but he claims he was forced to make the admission under duress. The 43-year-old is now charged in Suffolk Superior Court with larceny over $1,200 and is specifically being tried for alleged theft of merchandise and scamming gift cards between January 2025 and September 2025. 

The prosecutor said in court Tuesday that Saks Fifth Avenue's loss prevention team was originally alerted to Kwatra's alleged theft in September of 2025 when a pair of Givenchy boots disappeared from the store. Kwatra was allegedly the last person to be seen with the boots, and the shoe box was found in his office at the department store, according to the prosecutor. 

The loss prevention team then reviewed his transaction history and said that Kwatra had been falsely returning items held in storage for clients or items from orders that had already been fulfilled. Kwatra allegedly used the merchandise credits and gift cards to buy items for himself and show them off on Instagram. Kwatra allegedly admitted to the theft in writing during a meeting with the Saks team and agreed to repay the company. But Kwatra says he was coerced and intimidated into signing the document in a counter-suit against the retail giant. 

Kwatra alleges that the company brought these charges against him to "sabotage his job offer with a competitor and defame him publicly." He said that he generated millions in revenue, helped curate relationships with clients and brands and was "among Saks' most profitable and influential personal stylists." 

He denies the allegations, saying the gift cards were issued by managers and given to him. He alleges that any merchandise that was unaccounted for was also approved for distribution to clients and staff by upper management. 

The Suffolk District Attorney's office asked for Kwatra's passport to be turned over, to stay in Massachusetts, to avoid any Saks employees and former clients, and to stay away from all Saks Fifth Avenue stores, including Saks Off 5th and Neiman Marcus. 

His attorney argued against those conditions, saying that his job required him to travel outside of Massachusetts and that several of his former clients had close relationships with him. 

"He's been in that industry for decades. His former clients are his friends, his partner with whom he lives and is in the courtroom today is a former client," Kwatra's defense attorney argued. 

The judge ordered that Kwatra stay away from all witnesses in the case and from all Saks Fifth Avenue employees and locations. He can leave the state and meet with former clients who are not witnesses. Kwatra was released on personal recognizance. 

Kwatra is due in court next on September 16. His trial date was set for March 22, 2027.