New York City beauty and cosmetics store accused of selling stolen products
HERALD SQUARE, Manhattan (WABC) -- A beauty store in Manhattan was shut down Wednesday for allegedly selling stolen goods.
Rehana's Cosmetics, located near Macy's in Herald Square, allegedly sold stolen goods from Macy's, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade and other retailers.
Investigators say the establishment possessed over $1 million in stolen products and the store was a well-known destination to bring stolen goods.
More than $200,000 of the goods were stolen from Macy's alone, officials said.
When police executed a search warrant at the store and two of its storage units in January, investigators found cosmetics, beauty supplies, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, electronic grooming devices, clothing, designer handbags, backpacks, toys, kitchenware and household appliances, Lego sets, coffee machines and vacuums.
It was enough stolen property to fill 450 cardboard boxes, officials say.
Bibi Rehana Khan, 54, and Aaron Khan, 40, are charged with multiple counts of criminal possession of stolen property.
"Retail theft is a scourge that impacts our local businesses and jeopardizes the safety of employees and customers alike. We must use every tool in our toolbox to address the root causes of retail theft, and a critical piece of that is upstream, proactive investigations into those who stand to profit. In addition to disrupting fencing networks, we will continue to target the small number of recidivists who are driving a significant amount of retail theft and ensure appropriate accountability," said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Elected officials have been trying to get a handle on an epidemic of retail thefts that started during the pandemic in 2020. Retailers have been trying to deter shoplifters by keeping merchandise locked up.
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