An armed gang of shoplifters is terrorizing NYC supermarkets— and grocers say NYPD is ignoring the rampage
Big Apple supermarkets have shared security footage of shoplifters in their stores with NYPD. Obtained by the New York Post
A knife-wielding gang of shoplifters has been terrorizing supermarkets across New York City, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods while frustrated store owners accuse police and prosecutors of turning a blind eye, The Post has learned.
The crew — believed to consist of five individuals — has struck dozens of stores since July, targeting high-value items such as beef, salami, and seafood. Grocers say the thieves pack their bags full and brandish knives when confronted, before fleeing in waiting getaway cars.
“Every time they come in, they’re stealing about $800 worth of Dominican salamis,” said Efrain Castro, owner of a Fine Fare supermarket in Upper Manhattan. “They’re fast, organized, and clearly running this like a business.”
Store owners say they’ve lost faith in law enforcement under Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Repeat offenders are routinely released after being charged with low-level crimes — or not charged at all.
According to a source briefed on the investigation, police have identified at least one suspect with a lengthy arrest record, including incidents where he brandished a knife during past supermarket thefts.
In the absence of consistent police action, local grocers have formed their own network to track the gang. Using a WhatsApp group, they alert one another in real time when thefts occur, said Samuel Collado, president of the National Supermarket Association (NSA).
Collado estimates that more than 100 stores have been hit, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods stolen. “It’s incredible that these guys have been able to get away with this for so long,” he said. “We haven’t seen an organized crime group like this operating so openly.”
The NSA represents about 200 New York-area supermarkets, suggesting the gang’s reach may be even broader.
The city’s shoplifting crisis turned tragic last month when a 64-year-old employee at a Morton Williams supermarket in Midtown Manhattan died after a struggle with a suspected thief. That incident is not believed to be tied to the organized ring, but it has deepened outrage among store owners who say the NYPD isn’t doing enough.
“NYPD gives us the impression that we’re bothering them when we call to report these crimes,” Collado said.
The suspect in the Morton Williams case remains at large. Police say the investigation is ongoing and have not yet ruled the death a homicide.
Last year, the NYPD launched a pilot program in the Bronx’s 46th Precinct, reinstating old-school anti-shoplifting tactics. The effort, combined with new state penalties for retail theft, has contributed to a reported 13% drop in retail theft citywide this year.
Carlos Collado, a Bronx grocer unrelated to Samuel Collado, said the program has reduced thefts in his area — but the same gang continues to strike elsewhere.
In Queens and Long Island, stores have suffered heavy losses. In one September incident, the thieves cleaned out the bacon supply of a Key Foods in Jackson Heights. In July, the same crew made off with $900 worth of meat from a Floral Park grocery store.
Surveillance footage reviewed by The Post shows the thieves entering stores in pairs, without disguises, and leaving within minutes with stuffed backpacks. “Once they’ve taken the items, they’re ready to fight,” Collado said. “We’ve had cases where workers were physically attacked.”
In some instances, when employees have detained the thieves, police have brought both the suspects and workers to the precinct — only for the shoplifters to accuse store employees of assault. “Our workers don’t want to file reports anymore,” Collado said.
Earlier this month, the NSA met with NYPD officials from the Bronx’s 45th and 48th Precincts, who urged grocers to file reports consistently. The department’s pilot program allows retailers to upload photos and videos of suspects to a WhatsApp group monitored by detectives. Officers have also shared their personal numbers with store owners to streamline reporting.
An NYPD spokesperson said the department “takes all crimes seriously, including retail theft,” crediting this year’s decline in shoplifting to an “overhaul” of its strategy — including more foot patrols, targeted investigations, and coordination with transit officers tracking shoplifters who flee by subway.
But many grocers say the problem remains out of control — forcing them to take matters into their own hands.
At Castro’s Fine Fare in Upper Manhattan, a security guard recently confronted two thieves stealing foot-long salamis. “He grabbed both of them by the neck and they cooperated,” Castro said. “But two others got away while he was dealing with them.”
In another case, three thieves walked out of an Astoria Key Food with $1,000 worth of frozen seafood — including $30 bags of shrimp — and escaped in a blue Volvo with Washington state plates. “It took three minutes,” said store owner Samuel Collado. “They just walked right out.”
Because of high insurance deductibles, grocers say these losses come entirely out of pocket. “We never call the police unless it’s violent,” said Steven Sloan, co-owner of the Morton Williams chain. “It usually takes them an hour to show up. What are we supposed to do — hold a shoplifter for an hour? We’re not a jail.”
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