Police bust two shopkeepers in York City for operating a retail theft ring out of a corner bodega along the 200 block South Penn Street. Li Jang Wang, 61, and Yu Ping Xu, 57, are facing numerous charges including organized retail theft, receiving stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The pair is accused of paying thieves money for stolen merchandise and then reselling it to customers out of “Yongs” bodega.
On Thursday–West York Borough police executed a search warrant and seized several hundred pounds of stolen baby formula, batteries and medications. Investigators also seized numerous drug paraphernalia items including glass pipes and small zip lock baggies commonly used in the packaging of illegal narcotics.
Police began looking into the pair after apprehending a shoplifter at the Giant Foods Store located along the 1200 block of W. Market Street earlier in the day. The suspect attempted to steal over $180 worth of cold medicine from the store.
According to police reports, the shoplifter told investigators he had stolen the items at the request of the owner of “Yongs”. Wang and Xu would then pay him $2-3 dollars for each bottle of stolen cough medicine.