4 Accused of Selling Stolen Shrimp to Support Drug Habit
Tuesday, Feb 5, 2013 | Updated 3:40 PM EDT
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Police say four people stole frozen shrimp worth thousands of dollars from supermarkets on Long Island, which they then sold to a Chinese restaurant to support their drug habit.
Police say they discovered a pattern of frozen shrimp thefts around Patchogue and Shirley, and last week identified a suspect's vehicle, which led them to the four suspects.
They are suspected of stealing more than $2,400 worth of shrimp since December. Authorities say they sold the shrimp to a Chinese restaurant in Mastic Beach.
All four suspects were charged with petit larceny, attempted larceny, possession of a hypodermic needle and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
The restaurant owner was also arrested. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and the restaurant was cited with a sanitary code violation for using an unapproved source of authorized food.
