FBI Busts Brooklyn Man With “Stash” of 80,000 of N95 Masks

I’m not exactly sure what the federal violation is considering the man was selling the face masks; but the FBI determined he was ‘hoarding’ his supply, and arrested him for price gouging. The FBI confiscated 80,000 face masks from his “stash” of supplies.

New York – Baruch Feldheim, 43, is facing charges of assault and making false statements to the feds on Sunday outside his Borough Park home where he allegedly peddled and stored massive amounts of N95 respirator masks, federal officials said.

Feldheim is also accused of price-gouging. On March 18, he’s suspected of selling a New Jersey doctor about 1,000 of the masks for $12,000, a markup of roughly 700 percent, authorities said.

[…] Two days later, the suspected hoarder received a gigantic shipment at his home of about eight pallets of face masks.

FBI agents then staked out his house, first noticing empty boxes of N95 masks outside.

On Sunday, they said they witnessed “multiple instances” of people approaching Feldheim’s residence and walking away with what appeared to be medical supplies.

[…] Following Feldheim’s arrest, the FBI on Monday night raided a warehouse on Pennsylvania Avenue in an industrial section of Linden, NJ, that housed Feldhim’s suspected stash of 80,000 masks, a source said. (more)

He was charged with “assault” for not covering his mouth when he coughed.  That’s interesting.  Additionally, assuming he legally ordered and received the face masks, I wonder what price or markup would have been ok with the feds?