Man Who Stole $22,000 Worth of Rogaine, Other Items, Sentenced to Prison, Still Bald

OHIO — A Florida man was sentenced to two years in prison for stealing Rogaine and other goods from drugstores in Cuyahoga, Summit, Hamilton and Warren counties. The man was also ordered to repay the $22,000 price tag the collected products sported.

Andres Arias, 36, of Boca Raton, pleaded guilty Dec. 6 to charges of corrupt activity, a second-degree felony. He agreed to the prison sentence and paid back the $22,000.

And, as you can see in the mugshot above, he apparently never got around to using the Rogaine for himself.

The indictment says that Arias was part of a larger criminal network that operated throughout the eastern United States, stretching from Florida to New Jersey. However, a spokesperson for the attorney general said she could not comment on whether or not Arias or the network were active in other states. The network pilfered merchandise from Walgreens stores throughout Ohio and CVS stores in Summit.

From December 2015 through February 2016, Arias would fly to cities across Ohio, rent a car, and then drive to certain pre-selected stores. He would then stuff Rogaine, Prevagen, Alli and other products into false pockets in his pants and bolt from the store without paying.

Once he had the products in hand, he would mail them to an associate in New Jersey and then money would be deposited in Arias' account. The Attorney General's office said that the products targeted tended to "yield high return on the black market." Which means there is apparently a black market for Rogaine and diet pills.

"Organized retail theft costs Ohio businesses and consumers tens of millions of dollars every year. Arias's conviction and sentence demonstrates the commitment by Attorney General Mike DeWine, our office, and numerous other cooperating law enforcement agencies to crack down on professional thieves like Arias," said Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell in a statement.

Mason Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Economic Crimes Unit collaborated to investigate Arias across the different counties he operated in.

Photo from Ohio Attorney General's Office and Shutterstock