“Suffolk resident released on bail after black market formula inquiry,” from the Virginian-Pilot, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
Abdelaziz Agoujdad, 42, posted $25,000 bail Monday and was freed pending an appearance in U.S. District Court on Thursday. He was arrested last week following an investigation that began in the summer.
Agoujdad’s case is tied to a multi million dollar black market baby formula ring that was broken up near Raleigh, according to court records.
Eight illegal immigrants were charged and convicted in that case.
The Wake County, N.C., Sheriff’s Department and the Wilson, N.C., Police Department began the investigation after noticing a surge in shoplifted infant formula, such as Enfamil and Simulac.
That led to undercover deals involving Agoujdad, according to court records.
The records say that an undercover officer sold Agoujdad more than 1,000 cases of formula on four occasions between July and August. Agoujdad believed the cans and boxes were stolen, the records say. The formula was worth more than $50,000.
After making the purchases in North Carolina, Agoujdad drove back to Virginia and stored the formula at his home in the 300 block of Morning Tide Lane in Suffolk, the court records say.
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III reported in November that there is a growing problem of purloined infant formula. In a number of cases, he said, the proceeds of those sales were used to support terrorist activities.