Posted on: November 27, 2024 08:30 AM

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Queens couple busted for stealing and dealing hot retail merchandise ahead of black Friday

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Two Queens residents allegedly responsible for dealing $2 million in stolen retail goods were busted in a crackdown that Gov. Kathy Hochul and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday.

The bust occurred just days before the biggest shopping day of the holiday season, Black Friday — something that officials drove home during the presser at the Queens DA’s office on Nov. 26.

Standing before a large table overflowing with stolen perfume, t-shirts, makeup, and even portions of 3D printed guns, Hochul and Katz stressed that the arrests would help safeguard retailers from theft and protect buyers from potential gouging.

Police cracked down on the illegal business through an operation Katz dubbed “Fashionably Fencing.” Undercover operatives made controlled purchases of merchandise from the suspects after contacting them via social media.

Upon their arrests, law enforcement agents found more than $1 million in products in Batista’s and Guzman’s possession. They were charged with fostering the sale of stolen goods, the first time this newly adopted crime has been charged in New York.

Katz lauded recent laws that Hochul signed that helped police recover $40 million in stolen goods and led to the creation of dedicated Retail Theft Teams within the New York State Police, whose undercover units participated in the investigation leading to this indictment.

“Retail theft not only financially impacts a business, but also presents peril to business owners, retail workers and patrons,” New York State Police Superintendent Steven James said. “State Police remains fully engaged on this issue and will not tolerate the actions of individuals responsible for stealing tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise, victimizing both retailers and the public.”

From Queens DA's Office