Two women robbed a Walgreens in San Francisco earlier this month by claiming they had “COVID” and coughing loudly to keep employees away, then piling merchandise into their bags and taking off, federal prosecutors said Friday.
Carmelita Barela and Rosetta Shabazz now stand accused of federal crimes for the April 6 encounter.
FBI Special Agent Lynn Reed said the two women coughed in a “threatening manner” as they walked through the store without masks.
The store manager came up to ask if they needed help and one of the women began coughing aggressively. The manager asked her to leave if she was sick, but both women ignored him and began shoving merchandise into their bags, the agent said in an affidavit.
“We have covid,” they told the manager.
The thieves made off with about $92 worth of items, the manager told the FBI.
Ms. Barela and Ms. Shabazz were caught on security footage, and when the pictures were circulated within the San Francisco Police Department, officers recognized the women.
“It is an unfortunate reality that there will be those in our community who try to take advantage of the current pandemic to prey on people’s fear of contracting COVID-19,” said David L. Anderson, the U.S. attorney for the northern district of California.
He and the FBI said they felt a particular duty to protect store employees who are working amid the coronavirus crisis.
Ms. Shabazz had her first court appearance and was released to home confinement. Ms. Barela’s first appearance is Monday.
The arrests are the latest in a get-tough approach by federal prosecutors to coronavirus crimes.
Earlier in the day, the U.S. attorney for the eastern district of New York announced charges against a man who ordered tons of gloves, sanitizer and masks and sold them at significant markups.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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