NY man gets three years in pharma, cosmetics theft case

A New York man who conspired with others to traffic in stolen pharmaceuticals and cosmetic products has been sentenced to 36 months in prison.

Razel Romhein (49) of Staten Island previously pleaded guilty before US District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to charges of conspiracy to transport stolen goods.

According to court documents, between 2011 and May 2013, Romhein and conspirators trafficked stolen health and beauty aid products and over-the-counter OTC) pharmaceuticals. The products were stolen by so-called “boosters” – the people who steal products intending to resell them – from various places including retail stores located in New Jersey.

The stolen items were then sold through a series of distributors at a significantly discounted price. Romhein operated a warehouse facility in Staten Island, New York that functioned as a “cleaning station” for the stolen products.

He arranged for the delivery of stolen merchandise and he and others removed security packaging and other labels from the products that identified the retail stores from which the products were stolen. The products, with an aggregate value of at least approximately $1m, were then sold for a profit.

In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Romhein to three years of supervised release.