Crime & Safety

Police: Shoplifters Targeted High-Priced Medical Books in Barnes & Noble Thefts

Police say suspects stole medical textbooks from Union County bookstores, resold them from New York food cart.

According to Springfield police, two New York men were offering pretzels with a side order of medical textbooks. The combination itself was fine, if a little odd, but what brought the police’s attention was the supply chain: shoplifting books from New Jersey retailers.

Police say that Anthony Silvio, 31, of Brooklyn, NY and Sanowar Hossain,  45, of Queens, NY, shoplifted thousands of dollars worth of medical textbooks from Barnes and Noble stores in Springfield and Clark. According to police reports, the two men sold the stolen medical textbooks out of a pretzel cart they would position near locations they knew the books would be in demand.

“The actors would set up their push carts by medical schools and nursing academies and would basically sell hot pretzels from one part of their cart and 'hot' books from the other part of the cart,” Springfield police Detective Sgt. Judd Levenson said.

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Levenson said Silvio and Hossain sold the books for a third of their retail price.

The alleged book-stealing scheme fell apart on Tuesday, February 15. Springfield police officers Sergeant Steven Hollyfield and Officer John Patrick responded to a shoplifting report at Springfield’s . Inside, they reportedly found Silvio and Hossain working together to steal books. Police detained Hossain, but, according to the report, Silvio successfully fled the store after dropping $565 worth of medical textbooks from his backpack.

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 After watching the store surveillance video, the officers broadcast a description of Silvio. Officer Keith Doherty spotted him at the 7-11 on Rte 22 in Springfield and apprehended him.

Police searched the suspects’ car and reportedly found 15 medical textbooks with price tags indicating they were from the Barnes & Noble in Clark NJ. Police say the books were worth over $1,000. 

Both subjects were charged with shoplifting (in excess of $500 in merchandise), a third degree felony and Receiving Stolen Property (in excess of $500), also a third degree felony. Silvio was also charged with the Unlawful Possession of Hypodermic Needles & Syringes as he was found to have four of these on his person when arrested.

Silvio and Hossain will be arraigned date in Union County NJ Superior Court in Elizabeth NJ on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Springfield police turned them over to the Clark Police Dept. where they were charged with shoplifting medical books from the Clark Barnes & Noble store.

The recovered stolen books were turned over to Clark Police department.


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