Baby formula smuggling ring stretched from Houston to Bayonne Bayonne man sentenced
Two men were sentenced last month in federal court for their roles in a multimillion-dollar infant formula smuggling operation that stretched from Houston to Bayonne, according to a statement from prosecuting attorney Joe Magliolo. Ahmad Manzoor, a 73-year-old Bayonne man who emigrated from Pakistan, pled guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen merchandise through interstate commerce and was sentenced to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution. Manzoor was accused of operating a distribution facility on 36th Street called M&Z Candy that allegedly received and distributed stolen goods. Court documents identify Manzoor as a "fence," meaning he allegedly received stolen goods and merchandise from "boosters" in Houston. In this case, a man named Abel Garcia Tepozotlan allegedly organized a team of boosters to steal over $2 million of formula from a variety of big box retailers. hudsonreporter.com

Counterfeit Purfume seized in major New York Raid; Could contain Urine, Antifreeze
Five Queens men were busted Wednesday for running a multimillion-dollar counterfeit-perfume operation that peddled phony merchandise containing trace amounts of a cancer-causing substance. The crew took trips to China, where they would get name-brand perfumes such as Chanel, Lacoste and Calvin Klein duplicated, then pedal the goods to wholesalers in the city and across the nation at a steep discount. An 11-month investigation by the NYPD, in conjunction with Homeland Security and US Border Patrol, led to the 6 a.m. arrests of ringleader Patrick Badal, 45, Abul Kashem, 49, Kaium Shah, 52, Kenny Hi, 61, and wholesaler 42-year-old Parvez Shazzed. When the merchandise reached New York City ports and terminals, the fraudsters would slap fake designer tags on the packaging from inside several storage facilities across Queens, officials said. The operation raked in an estimated $2.6 million annually once the goods were shipped off to wholesalers and retailers, including "mom and pop" shops in lower Manhattan, police said. Trace amounts of a cancer-causing chemical compound - Di 2 Ethylhexyl - phthalate - were found in the products, cops said. Authorities recovered about 60,000 bottles of counterfeit perfume in the raid - and they seized 15 bank accounts and several luxury cars, including a BMW and a Lexus. All five men face charges of conspiracy and trafficking counterfeit goods. abc7ny.com

Wappinger, NY: 3 stole $8,000 worth of razor blades from BJ's
Three Ulster County residents have been charged in connection with the theft of $8,000 worth of razor blades from the BJ's Wholesale Club in April, state police said Wednesday. Andre K. Pritchard, Michael Demaio, and Leanne Demaio, were arrested by state police at Wappinger. Pritchard and Michael Demaio were arrested May 17, and Leanne Demaio was arrested April 28. Pritchard and Michael Demaio were charged with grand larceny, a felony. Leanne Demaio was charged with petit larceny. The last two arrests ended a weeks-long investigation of reported thefts at the store. dailyfreeman.com

Marina, CA: Man found guilty in sophisticated $500 Target theft

Fort Smith, AR: Walmart nabs Repeat Offender with over $1,000 in merchandise, Criminal Tresspass for prior thefts

Glendale, WI: Woman with 14 priors at it again at Kohl's, now facing 18 months and $10,000 fine

Alcoa, TN: Woman caught shoplifting at Wal-Mart, 3 priors in last 30 days