The coronavirus outbreak has revealed heroes in every community. And then there’s this guy.
A Brooklyn man who said he had COVID-19 coughed on FBI agents, and lied to them about personal protection equipment he was hoarding to try to make a buck, authorities said Monday.
Baruch Feldheim, 43, was arrested by FBI agents in New Jersey and charged with assaulting a federal officer and with making false statements to law enforcement.
Prosecutors said Feldheim had accumulated much needed N95 respirators, personal protection surgical masks, medical gowns and disinfecting devices and selling them to health care professionals at inflated prices.
In one instance, according to authorities, a doctor in New Jersey contacted Feldheim via a WhatsApp chat group labeled “Virus2020!”
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Feldheim agreed to sell to the doctor approximately 1,000 N95 masks and other assorted materials for $12,000, an approximately 700% markup from the normal price, according to court documents.
Feldheim directed the doctor to an auto repair shop in Irvington, N.J., to pick up the order, officials said.
According to the doctor, the repair shop contained enough materials, including hand sanitizers, Clorox wipes, chemical cleaning supply agents, and surgical supplies, to outfit an entire hospital, officials said.
