A Brooklyn man claimed he had the coronavirus and coughed on FBI agents who had arrested him for hoarding and selling medical supplies at inflated prices, the Justice Department said Monday.
Baruch Feldheim, 43, is charged with assaulting a federal officer and making false statements to law enforcement. If convicted on both charges, he faces up to six years in prison and a $350,000 fine.
Mr. Feldheim is the third person to face federal criminal charges for alleged actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Prosecutors say Mr. Feldheim had stockpiled coronavirus-related medical essentials including N95 face masks, surgical masks, disinfecting devices and other things. He then sold those materials to doctors at severe markups, prosecutors alleged.
On March 18, Mr. Feldheim allegedly sold a New Jersey doctor roughly 1,000 N95 masks and other materials for $12,000, a 700 percent markup from their normal retail price, according to court documents.
The doctor told the authorities that Mr. Feldheim had stockpiled enough cleaning and surgical supplies “to outfit an entire hospital,” the Justice Department said.
On Sunday, the FBI approached Mr. Feldheim saying they wanted to stay a distance away because of the coronavirus. When the agents were in four-to-five feet of him, the defendant coughed in their direction without covering his mouth, prosecutors said.
Mr. Feldheim then announced he had the coronavirus, the Justice Department said.
It is not clear if Mr. Feldheim was infected with the virus. He told the agents he tested positive about a week or two ago, according to court documents.
The false statements charge raises from claims he told the agents about his sale of the medical equipment, according to the Justice Department.
Prosecutors say he falsely told the agents that he worked for a company that bought and sold medical equipment and never took physical custody of the materials. He also claimed he never sold them directly to individuals, they alleged.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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