FBI: Candy purchases seem legitimate

North Jersey.com ^ | MITCHEL MADDUX and PETER POCHNA

[kattracks]

A man who used cash to buy large amounts of candy from Costco stores in Hackensack and Wayne last week is not suspected of any terrorist activity, the FBI said Monday.

"We do not have any evidence that suggests that the purchases of these items was not for legitimate purposes," said Sandra Carroll, an FBI spokesperson in Newark.

The FBI detained the man "for reasons unrelated to the purchases," Carroll said. A law enforcement source who did not want to be identified said the man is a foreign national who was being held for immigration law reasons.

The candy, meanwhile, has been found, Carroll said.

News reports about the $15,000 cash purchases prompted public concern about the safety of Halloween candy.

However, Carroll emphasizesd that the FBI would notify the public whenever it came across credible information that poses a health concern.

[lepton]

I want to know why he needed all this candy. That's a hell of a lot of cash to spend on candy or anything else for that matter. Sorry this doesn't pass the smell test.

The quantity of the candy seems odd. The faked Costco card is odd. Using cash for a large purchase is not odd in the area around NYC/Long Island/Hoboken.

A lot of the economy in that area is done off-the-books.

[Nick Danger]

If it was a legitimate purchase don't you think they would mention what it was? Maybe it's for his 52 kids.

It would not be unheard of for a Middle-Easterner to own a small grocery store. I see small businessmen all the time in Costco buying cigarettes in bulk; buying candy with Halloween coming up does not sound all that weird. I wondered if this isn't how it was going to turn out.

Just the same, deporting him for a visa violation doesn't sound all that weird either. Out with him, just to be sure.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Yep, thanks for the good news, Saber.

[Kingcrash]

15,000. Is not a purchase for a SMALL store. Something just is not right with this. you have to be talking a pickup truck full and most places dont have that type of storage space let alone the shelf life of candy is not that long.

[Sabertooth]

I saw a post from a guy who had to buy $3,500 worth last year. Said THAT filled up his pick-up.

These guys would need a Ryder.

[wlj1]

Another one who overstayed his visa. When is the gov. going to wake up. DEPORT ALL VISA VIOLATERS!!! Period. Maybe they will realize when a bunch of kids are killed by being poisoned. This is too fishy..

[formernyer]

I actually thought about this for a bit and what occurred to me was all of the newsstands and outdoor kiosks in Manhattan and the like that take only cash and are usually run by Indians or Pakistanis or Arabs. They probably buy their candy in bulk and with cash, and many of them probably live in NJ. ANd, believe me, I am the first to be suspicious but truly, this seems to make sense to me.

[JeepInMazar]

immigration law reasons

It's normal for illegal immigrants to celebrate holloween with great enthusiasm. < /sarcasm >

[abner]

I did a logo for and sign for a candy broker once. Seems to me that would be a giant score for a broker, probably cheaper than Costco too.

Mother's intuition tells me that this story doesn't wash.

[Syncro]

I usually buy 30 or 40 bottles of Glenlivet when I go to Costco...but then I only get there every couple of weeks...

It is cheaper there then at the duty free shop on the Majesty.

ok ok I exaggerated...

[Dasaji]

Still doesn't wash with me, either. That was ALOT of cash. $35 grand spent, average $3.00 per bag - over 11000 bags of candy. What kind of vehicle were they driving? They'd need fork lifts just to get it all out of there.

[timestax]

I won't be buying any candy !!

[Lion's Cub]

However, Carroll emphasizesd that the FBI would notify the public whenever it came across credible information that poses a health concern.

They just won't have any credible information until there have been hundreds/thousands of deaths.

At my local BJs (like Sams Club), the average bag of candy runs $5, the average box of candy bars about $10 for a box of 24. $15,000 would buy 3000 bags of candy (piece count would vary). Let's say each bag had 100 suckers. 3000x100=300,000 lollipops.

If you bought $10 boxes of candy bars, you could buy 1500 boxes. 1500x24=36,000 full size candy bars.

Yup. That's a normal months inventory for some little convenience store, right? (I don't think so...)

[Lysander]

I want to know why he needed all this candy. That's a hell of a lot of cash to spend on candy or anything else for that matter. Sorry this doesn't pass the smell test.

I know the answer. I used to teach school in a prison.

Money was not allowed by the inmates. They did all their dope deals in Blow Pops and Tootsie Rolls. He was laundering drug money for inmates.

[rogercolleridge]

Maybe its for more than one store; or Maybe he and his friends got ahold of some good smoke and are anticipating a case of the MAJOR munchies!!

[SirAllen]

Maybe it's for his 52 kids

And his 2,500 grand children.

[snippy_about_it]

We used to have some Arab neighbors who with other family members owned 13 of those small corner stores. I suppose that could be the case here. I can always hope.

[DoctorMichael]

Bump-a-ruunie!

I hadn't heard about the outcome of this story......it's still not over though: Purchases legit; candy found; still questions about the foreign individual.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

What I want to know is when is the FBI gonna make the link from these candy buyers (i.e. smallpox fomites) in New Jersey to the anthrax-by-mail senders in New Jersey.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

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