Complaint says the man allegedly used a "booster bag" to steal more than $207,000 worth of items over a seven-year period.
NEWARK -- For at least seven years, a Piscataway man allegedly preyed on the nation's largest book retailer in a simple theft spree that netted him hundreds of thousands of dollars, authorities say.
Federal authorities Thursday charged Dominick J. Izzo, 49, of Piscataway and Port Orange, Fla., with stealing more than $200,000 worth of merchandise from Barnes & Noble stores in New Jersey, Florida and elsewhere, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Izzo allegedly used a "booster bag," a bag with multiple coverings designed to thwart security scanners, at the stores, the U.S. attorney's office said.
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The thefts from the nation's largest bookseller allegedly occurred from at least as early as September, 2007 and continued through January, 2014, the criminal complaint says.
He was charged with one count of transportation of stolen goods Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson and released on a $250,000 unsecured bond.
According to the criminal complaint, Izzo listed the stolen items on an eBay account using various names, including "Threefolks," "Gothrifty123" "Stand-upcomics386," "Overstockgallery" and "Coyne412" to conceal his identity. Once he was paid via PayPal, he shipped the items from New Jersey and Florida to buyers in other states, the complaint states.
If convicted, Izzo faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces possible forfeiture of cash and items purchased with the money from the eBay sales totaling at least $207,646, according to the complaint.
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