The logo for the Daily Beast's Obsessed website. It reads: 'Obsessed: What to Watch, Binge, See, & Skip'
DAILY BEAST
CrosswordNewsletters
  • Cheat Sheet
  • Obsessed
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Innovation
  • Opinion
  • World
  • U.S. News
  • Scouted
CHEAT SHEET
    POLITICS
    • Biden World
    • Elections
    • Opinion
    • National Security
    • Congress
    • Pay Dirt
    • The New Abnormal
    • Trumpland
    MEDIA
    • Confider
    • Daytime Talk
    • Late-Night
    • Fox News
    U.S. NEWS
    • Identities
    • Crime
    • Race
    • LGBT
    • Extremism
    • Coronavirus
    WORLD
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • China
    • Middle East
    INNOVATION
    • Science
    TRAVEL
      ENTERTAINMENT
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Comedy
      • Sports
      • Sex
      • TDB's Obsessed
      • Awards Shows
      • The Last Laugh
      CULTURE
      • Power Trip
      • Fashion
      • Books
      • Royalist
      TECH
      • Disinformation
      SCOUTED
      • Clothing
      • Technology
      • Beauty
      • Home
      • Pets
      • Kitchen
      • Fitness
      • I'm Looking For
      BEST PICKS
      • Best VPNs
      • Best Gaming PCs
      • Best Air Fryers
      COUPONS
      • Vistaprint Coupons
      • Ulta Coupons
      • Office Depot Coupons
      • Adidas Promo Codes
      • Walmart Promo Codes
      • H&M Coupons
      • Spanx Promo Codes
      • StubHub Promo Codes
      Products
      NewslettersPodcastsCrosswordsSubscription
      FOLLOW US
      GOT A TIP?

      SEARCH

      HOMEPAGE
      Coronavirus

      Feds: Price-Gouging Suspect Coughed on FBI Agents, Said He Had Coronavirus

      BAD IDEA

      Prosecutors said Baruch Feldheim allegedly had enough black market medical supplies to outfit a hospital.

      Tracy Connor

      Published Mar. 30, 2020 8:50PM ET 

      Nicholas Pfosi/Reuters

      A Brooklyn man under investigation for hoarding medical supplies and then selling them at an outrageous markup made matters worse when he coughed on two FBI agents and told them he was infected with the new coronavirus, officials said.

      Now Baruch Feldheim, 43, is in custody—charged with assaulting a federal officer and making false statements to law enforcement.

      According to federal prosecutors in New Jersey, Feldheim sold the life-saving equipment at inflated prices to doctors and nurses even after they had been designated as scarce by authorities in Washington.

      On March 18, a doctor who connected with Feldheim on a WhatsApp chat group called Virus2020! said he agreed to pay $12,000 for a thousand N95 face masks—a 700 percent markup.

        When the doctor went to pick up the items at a repair shop, he told investigators, it contained enough hand sanitizers, Clorox wipes, cleaning and surgical supplies “to outfit an entire hospital,” prosecutors said.

        Prosecutors allege that Feldheim also offered to sell a nurse surgical gowns. And when FBI agents went to his house on March 28, they watched people walking out with bags that appeared to be medical supplies.

        When the agents approached Feldheim and identified themselves, he coughed in their direction, and then said he was infected with coronavirus, prosecutors alleged. He denied that he possessed the medical supplies or bought and sold them.

        Feldheim faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

        Tracy Connor

        Tracy.Connor@thedailybeast.com

        Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.

        READ THIS LIST

        DAILY BEAST
        • Cheat Sheet
        • Politics
        • Entertainment
        • Media
        • World
        • Innovation
        • U.S. News
        • Scouted
        • Travel
        • Subscription
        • Crossword
        • Newsletters
        • Podcasts
        • About
        • Contact
        • Tips
        • Jobs
        • Advertise
        • Help
        • Privacy
        • Code of Ethics & Standards
        • Diversity
        • Terms & Conditions
        • Copyright & Trademark
        • Sitemap
        • Best Picks
        • Coupons
        • Coupons:
        • Dick's Sporting Goods Coupons
        • HP Coupon Codes
        • Chewy Promo Codes
        • Nordstrom Rack Coupons
        • NordVPN Coupons
        • JCPenny Coupons
        • Nordstrom Coupons
        • Samsung Promo Coupons
        • Home Depot Coupons
        • Hotwire Promo Codes
        • eBay Coupons
        • Ashley Furniture Promo Codes
        © 2023 The Daily Beast Company LLC