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Foreign National Convicted in Multi-Million-Dollar,
Multi-State Criminal Operation
HOUSTON—Sameh
Khaled Danhach, also known by many other aliases,
has been convicted of all six counts as related to
the interstate transportation of stolen goods and
obstruction of justice. The evidence demonstrated he
was a high-ranking fence involved in a
multi-million-dollar, multi-state criminal
enterprise where he received stolen over-the-counter
(OTC) medicine, baby formula, health and beauty
supplies, and shampoo for later re-packaging and
shipping. This criminal enterprise, among other
things, engaged in using “boosters,” primarily
undocumented Central Americans, to steal
over-the-counter medication and baby formula.
The scope of this criminal enterprise ranged from
April 2008 to February 2012.
Danhach owned and operated Houston-located SKD
Trading Inc. and Lifetime Wholesale Inc., both shell
companies operated under several other names used to
facilitate their illegal activity. He hired
undocumented aliens from Central and South America
to travel throughout the United States to steal the
OTC, beauty products, and baby formula from major
retail chain stores such as Target, Walmart, CVS,
and Walgreens. He facilitated this interstate travel
by renting cars for the boosters and by paying the
boosters in cash for the stolen merchandise.
To avoid detection by law enforcement, the
undocumented aliens would ship the stolen
merchandise to Danhach using fraudulent FedEx
accounts in his shell company names. As a result of
the fraudulent accounts, FedEx suffered a loss of
$540,000. A representative from FedEx testified at
trial about the sophistication of Danhach’s scheme
stating that Danhach and others set up approximately
29 accounts using various names, company names, and
addresses without paying for any of the shipments.
Once the stolen merchandise arrived at Danhach’s
Houston warehouse, he had his “employees” remove any
retail store identifying labels and security
features. Danhach would then have the stolen
products repackaged and then re-sold to wholesalers
across the nation.
A search warrant was executed on March 1, 2012, at
Danhach’s Houston warehouse, at which time agents
seized criminal ledgers maintained by Danhach. The
ledgers specifically showed the stolen merchandise
coming into the warehouse, the retail labels on the
stolen merchandise being removed, and the stolen
merchandise being repackaged and shipped back out of
the warehouse. At the time of the search, Danhach
instructed his co-conspirator to hide a video
recording from the warehouse’s security cameras in
the warehouse’s ceiling.
Several cooperating witnesses testified on behalf of
the United States, including one of his boosters,
who admitted that between August 2011 and February
2012, he traveled around the Houston area and the
state in cars rented by Danhach, stealing OTC
medication and beauty supplies from Walmarts. In a
six-month-period, the witness admitted he was
responsible for stealing more than $230,000 worth of
merchandise from Walmart.
United States District Court Judge Sim Lake, who
presided over the trial has set sentencing for April
25, 2013. Danhach faces up to five years for the one
count of conspiracy to transport stolen merchandise
in interstate commerce as well as up to 10 years in
as to each of the three convictions for transporting
stolen merchandise. Danhach further faces a maximum
sentence of 20 years for each of the two obstruction
of justice counts. All charges also include a
possible $250,000 fine. Danhach could also face the
loss of his legal permanent residence status and
deportation from the United States.
He will remain in custody pending his sentencing
hearing.
This matter was investigated by the FBI, Houston
Police Department-Major Offenders Division, and the
Harris County Sheriff’s Office, with the cooperation
of CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Mead Johnson, and Abbott
Nutrition. The case was prosecuted by Assistant
United States Attorneys Kebharu Smith, Joe Magliolo
and Albert Ratliff (Source
fbi.gov) |
Houston Near Top Of Organized Retail Crime In US
Joe Williams from the Texas Retailers Association. He estimates
that in Texas, the retail value of items stolen by professional
shoplifters, or “boosters,” falls between $2.5 billion and $3
billion. The National Retail Federation has listed Houston in
the top 10 cities for organized retail crimes for each of the
last three years. Lee Bland, VP of LP for Stage Stores believes
Houston is a hotbed for theft because it is so close to the
Mexican border. (Source
kuhf.com)
Stop N Save baby formula ORC thief busted in Edwardsville, ILL.
Police searched a woman’s car recently and found 24 cans of baby
formula that they suspect she had stolen from area stores. The
woman, 30-year-old Suzanne E. Rainbolt, of Fairview Heights,
reportedly confessed to Edwardsville police she had stolen the
Enfamil formula from several Shop ‘N Save stores.
(Source
theintelligencer.com)
Bowie, Texas Police investigate ORC ring accused of stealing
$7000 from Walmart. Two suspects
have been arrested and warrants are issued for two others for
the thefts that occurred between December and January from the
Bowie Walmart. Police believe the group acted together to steal
$7000 worth of televisions and computer and will be charged with
Organized Criminal Activity. (Source
bowienewsinc.com)
Pennsylvania State Police are looking for a woman who
stole $16,000 worth of toothbrushes from Kohl’s.
According to Police, Beate Proeller created fraudulent
price tags and placed them over the original price tags
on 200 electric toothbrushes, then purchased the
products. Proeller was charged with retail theft and
receiving stolen property.
(Source
go.com)
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