Federal officials distribute half-a-million medical supplies including 200,000 N95 masks to health workers in New York and New Jersey after seizing them from HOARDERS

  • FBI agents confiscated 500,000 pieces of medical equipment from hoarder, including N95 and surgical masks, gowns, hand sanitizer and disinfectants 
  • Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services have arranged for seized supplies to be distributed to health officials in New York and New Jersey 
  • Hoarder will be paid market value for the seized supplies, according to HHS 
  • Attorney General William Barr warned that people who are hoarding medical supplies 'can expected a knock on the door' 

The departments of Justice and Health and Human Services have teamed up to distribute half-a-million pieces of life-saving medical equipment that were seized from hoarders, including close to 200,000 much-needed N95 face masks, to medics in New York and New Jersey fighting on the frontline of the coronavirus epidemic. 

According to a statement from HHS on Thursday, the FBI discovered the stashed medical supplies during an operation led by the DOJ's Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force on Monday.

The federal health agency was notified of the find and used its authority under under Defense Production Act to order the seizure of the supplies. 

FBI agents have confiscated 500,000 pieces of medical equipment from a hoarder, including N95 and surgical masks, gowns, hand sanitizer and disinfectants (stock photo)

FBI agents have confiscated 500,000 pieces of medical equipment from a hoarder, including N95 and surgical masks, gowns, hand sanitizer and disinfectants (stock photo) 

The Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services have arranged for the seized supplies to be distributed to health officials in New York and New Jersey. Pictured: Dr. Nicole McCullough, a global health and safety expert at 3M, demonstrates the correct way to put on a N95 respiratory mask

The Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services have arranged for the seized supplies to be distributed to health officials in New York and New Jersey. Pictured: Dr. Nicole McCullough, a global health and safety expert at 3M, demonstrates the correct way to put on a N95 respiratory mask

In addition to the scarce N95 respirator masks, the confiscated materials included 598,000 medical grade gloves and 130,000 surgical masks, procedure masks, N100 masks, surgical gowns, disinfectant towels, particulate filters, bottles of hand sanitizer, and bottles of spray disinfectant. 

The federal government will pay the unnamed owner of the hoarded equipment 'pre-COVID-19 fair market value' for the supplies.  

"Cracking down on the hoarding of vital supplies allows us to distribute this material to the heroic healthcare workers on the frontlines who are most in need,' said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. 'Thanks to the quick work of the White House, the Department of Justice, and HHS, the seized resources were distributed in days to the doctors, nurses and first responders who need them.'  

After inspecting the supplies, HHS arranged for the delivery of the personal protection equipment to the New Jersey Department of Health, the New York State Department of Health and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, to be distributed to healthcare professionals facing severe shortages of protective gear while treating coronavirus patients. 

Attorney General William Barr warned that people who are hoarding medical supplies 'can expected a knock on the door'

Attorney General William Barr warned that people who are hoarding medical supplies 'can expected a knock on the door' 

As of Thursday afternoon, there were 236,086 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 5,647 deaths nationwide

As of Thursday afternoon, there were 236,086 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 5,647 deaths nationwide 

Government officials issued a warning to other people and companies hoarding critical supplies, or selling them for exorbitant prices, that they should turn them over, or risk seizure.  

'This is the first of many such investigations that are underway,' said President Donald Trump's policy coordinator Peter Navarro. 'Our FBI agents and other law enforcement agencies are tracking down every tip and lead they get, and are devoting massive federal resources to this effort.'

The bust comes a week after Trump signed an executive order that authorizes the federal government to directly target hoarders who may threaten the supply of certain medical supplies that the government has designated as scarce or could be threatened by hoarding or price gauging.

People who accumulate designated supplies beyond levels considered reasonable for personal or business use can be criminally prosecuted.

'If you are amassing critical medical equipment for the purpose of selling it at exorbitant prices, you can expect a knock at your door,' said Attorney General William Barr. ]The Department of Justice's COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force is working tirelessly around the clock with all our law enforcement partners to ensure that bad actors cannot illicitly profit from the COVID-19 pandemic facing our nation.' 

As of Thursday afternoon, there were 236,086 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 5,647 deaths nationwide 

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