L.I. Clothing Donation Bins Stolen, Repainted: Police

The suspects were stealing donated items to resell them for a profit

Police say a pair of Long Island men have been stealing clothing donation bins, repainting them with the name of a fake charity and stealing donated items to resell for a profit.

The investigation began Tuesday, when the owner of two clothing donation bins benefiting a breast cancer charity reported the bins stolen from their original locations on Sunrise Highway in Bay Shore, police said.

The bins, which were outfitted with GPS tracking devices, were able to be tracked to a location in Lindenhurst. Police said two additional stolen clothing bins were also found there, apparently in the process of being altered and stripped of their original markings in order to be repainted.

Investigators arrested two men at the scene and charged them with several counts of criminal possession of stolen property and criminal mischief.

One of the suspects is accused of repainting 40 other clothing bins on and around Long Island with the name "Donations International Helping Hand," and collecting the donations to sell for a profit.

The men were scheduled to be arraigned at a future date at First District Court in Central Islip.

Police said investigation is ongoing.

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