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Jurors convicted Hamad Siyam last December, in a case that preceded another criminal investigation in which federal agents said they caught him and his two brothers selling $135,000 worth of black-market baby formula from Los Hermanos, on Bergenline Avenue just off 26th Street in Union City.
An unnamed co-conspirator admitted selling the formula to Hamad Siyam and his brothers, Ali and Rawhi, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Before long, the investigators were onto a multi-million-dollar money trail that leads to Jordan, Antigua, Israel, Palestine — and Middlesex County. That case is still pending.
SEE: Federal agents said they watched as three brothers sold $135,000 worth of black-market baby formula delivered to their Union City supermarket. Before long, the investigators were onto a multi-million-dollar money trail that leads to Jordan, Antigua, Israel, Palestine — and Middlesex County. READ MORE….
U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh today sentenced Siyam on convictions for conspiring to possess goods traveling in interstate commerce and possession of goods traveling in interstate commerce, returned by a federal jury in Newark after Cavanaugh also ordered him to $633,017 and remain on supervised release for three years after his term ends.
Siyam needed a place to stash the stolen goods while he sought buyers, federal prosecutors said, so he asked an acquaintance for help. Little did Siyam know that that man was cooperating with the FBI and the New Jersey State Police’s Cargo Theft Unit.
The FBI and State Police established an undercover warehouse in Sayreville, N.J., and installed a government cooperating witness as warehouse manager.
Pretty soon, trailers were coming in full of $1 million worth of booty — including bed linens and other merchandise destined for Home Goods stores, as well as clothing originally destined for Burlington Coat Factories nationwide, U.S. Attorney Paul S. Fishman said.
Siyam was caught on video taking inventory of the stolen goods and on audio discussing them, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob T. Elberg, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark, who prosecuted the case.
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