Coronavirus Price Gouger Coughs On FBI Agents: Feds

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — A Brooklyn man tried to thwart FBI agents investigating his suspected price gouging by unleashing a defense befitting the new coronavirus outbreak: he coughed.

So says a federal complaint levied against Baruch Feldheim, 43, whose hack-filled Sunday encounter capped off a probe into a scheme to sell vital medical supplies at inflated prices.

A trail of jacked-up sales of COVID-19 materials — masks and other protective gear — led FBI agents to Feldheim's home, where they watched person after person leave with boxes or bags, the complaint states.

When the agents confronted Feldheim, they tried to keep a 6-foot distance over coronavirus concerns. Feldheim didn't budge, the complaint states.

"When the agents were approximately four or five feet from FELDHEIM, FELDHEIM intentionally coughed in their direction without covering his mouth," the complaint states.

Feldheim then told them he had COVID-19, according to the complaint.

The agents arrested Feldheim on suspicion of assaulting a federal officer. Feds also charged Feldheim with making false statements to investigations — he claimed, among other things, that he never sold protective gear to people.

But the complaint details transactions FBI agents traced to Feldheim.

A traveling nurse connected with Feldheim through a WhatsApp group for health care professionals and arranged a purchase of N95 masks and other gear for a doctor, the complaint states. The doctor wrote a check for $12,000, a 700 percent markup, according to the complaint.

Investigators traced some of the supplies to Solo Supplies, Inc., a company with a Borough Park address, according to records.

Feldheim denied he had supplies in warehouse quantities and claimed he was only an intermediary, the complaint states.

FBI agents later arrested him Monday on the false statement and assault charges. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted on the false statements charge.