Two Whitestone grocers were arrested and charged with price gouging on medical PPE they were
selling. Courtesy of Queens DA’s offi ce
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TIMESLEDGER | 2 QNS.COM | MAY 15-21, 2020
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
State Assemblyman Ron
Kim and the 109th Precinct
distributed personal protective
equipment (PPE) to
residents by Bland Houses in
downtown Flushing on May
7.
Kim met with several officers,
including Officer Ares
Huang from the 109th Precinct’s
Community Affairs
Division at the distribution
site at 40-25 College Point
Blvd.
They were joined by representatives
from the Bland
Residents Association and
La Jornada, a prominent food
pantry nonprofit in the community.
Some of the equipment
distributed included more
than 1,000 face masks, as well
as 500 N95 masks and goggles
for frontline workers and police
officers. The funding for
the auxiliary vans provided
by the 109th Precinct was
previously secured by Kim.
Kim emphasized that further
equipment, including
hand sanitizer, was on its
way.
“Many of us, myself included,
have lost people we
care about in the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic. In spite
of this and countless other
hardships, we have persevered
and are continuing to
do all that we can to help our
most vulnerable community
members,” Kim said. “I offer
my gratitude to the community
affairs officers who have
joined me today for the work
they are doing to keep people
safe during this health crisis,
and I look forward to continuing
this partnership in
other neighborhoods in our
district.”
The PPE distribution came
on the heels of one Kim did on
May 6 at Elmhurst Hospital,
where he held a PPE distribution
for frontline medical
workers.
The state assemblyman
offered his gratitude to the
workers and volunteers that
have been working everyday
to distribute food, PPPE, and
other essential resources
to the residents in the community.
He also thanked the
many compassionate people
from across the country who
donated PPE to keep Flushing
safe and healthy.
The organizations that donated
the resources include:
Green Life Foundation; Chinese
American Businesswomen’s
Association; Forever
Young Ateliers Inc., Global
Federation of Chinese Businesswomen’s
Association;
Magic Power Foundation,
Broth Inc., FIT Taiwanese
Alumni Association; Ellen
Young US Consulting Co.,
Shanghai Jixiang Wonton Co;
Huang Xiang Culture Studio;
and Lucky Sunshine Co.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or
by phone at (718) 260–4526.
BY BILL PARRY
Two Whitestone grocers
were arrested and charged with
price gouging after they allegedly
sold medical face masks at
an inflated price, according to
Queens District Attorney Melinda
Katz.
Tae Kyong Kim, 49, of College
Point, and Jung Soo Lee,
61, of Bayside, were both issued
desk appearance tickets and ordered
to appear in court Sept.
4 when they will be formally
charged with a New York City
Administrative Code violation.
According to the charges, an
undercover detective visited the
Raspberry Farm grocery store
at 150-15 14th Ave., in Whitestone
Wednesday morning and
noticed several displays of face
masks. The price for a box of 2
KF94 masks was $10 when the
masks are valued at $1 each.
A second detective visited
the store that afternoon and
saw 12 boxes of 10 KN95 masks
listed for $45 each. The “buyer”
purchased a single box for $45
from the cashier.
Police allegedly recovered
24 boxes containing 10 KN95
masks, 35 boxes containing 50
disposable face masks, 31 boxes
containing four disposable
masks, 153 single packs of KF94
face masks, and 67 dust-proof
face masks.
Law enforcement executed
a court-authorized search
warrant Thursday at the grocery
store. Police allegedly recovered
invoices showing the
manager paid $30 for the KN95
masks they were re-selling for
$45 and they allegedly charged
$39 for a box of 50 disposable
masks which they allegedly
purchased for $24.
The defendants allegedly
told police that they had increased
the price for everything
in their store by 50 percent, according
to the charges.
“Sadly, the outbreak of the
coronavirus has inspired greed
and manipulation,” Katz said.
“We are still in the midst of a
crisis and people are still dying
every day from COVID-19. We
are actively seeking out individuals
and businesses that would
take advantage of people’s real
fears during this pandemic to
line their own pockets. If you
know of a business or individual
inflating the price of needed
personal protection equipment,
please call my office at 718-286-
6673.”
The Department of Consumer
and Worker’s Protection’s
Emergency Price Gouging
Rule declares it an unconscionable
trade practice to increase
the price of essential goods and
services during an imminent
threat to public safety more
than 10 percent above the price
at which the same goods could
have previously been purchased
by consumers 30 to 60
days prior to the March 15 rule.
“The individuals charged
in this case put profits over
the health of their fellow New
Yorkers by charging exorbitant
fees for the face masks
that could save people’s
lives,” NYPD Commissioner
Dermot Shea said. “These arrests
should serve as a warning:
the NYPD is vigilant in
investigating those who prey
on New Yorkers and attempt
to financially benefit during
the pandemic.”
The phone number listed for
Raspberry Farm was out of service
Friday and they could not
be reached for comment.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by
e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4538.
State Assemblyman Ron Kim (c.), community affairs officers,
and volunteers with La Jornada, Bland Residents Association,
and Kim’s Senior Advisor Ellen Young.
Courtesy of Assemblyman Ron Kim’s offi ce
Kim partners with 109th Pct.
to distribute PPE and face
masks to Flushing residents
DA: Two Whitestone grocers
charged with price gouging
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