Feds Arrest 'The Mask Man,' New York Pharmacist Accused Of Profiteering On N95 Masks
"I feel like a drug dealer standing out here," Richard Schirripa allegedly said as he was recorded selling 16 boxes of N95 masks to a customer on the street.
A licensed pharmacist in New York bought up thousands of rare N95 masks and sold them at much higher prices during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal authorities said Tuesday, announcing the arrest of Richard Schirripa, a.k.a. "the Mask Man," on charges that include violating the Defense Production Act. Schirripa is accused of charging up to $25 per mask – often selling them out of his car.
Schirripa is accused of buying about $200,000 that was recently unsealed. The timeframe coincides with the wave of coronavirus cases that came crashing into New York, as the pandemic arrived in the U.S. in full force.
