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TAMARA LUSHDeputies say the owner of several stores that sold stolen baby formula rents one location from the jailed ex-USF professor.
TAMPA - A two-month investigation into stolen baby formula has led authorities to look into a store owner's financial dealings and his ties to former University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian.
Saad Saad, the owner of Mike's Food Store at 6824 N 50th St., was arrested by Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies Thursday on charges of racketeering and dealing in stolen property.
Deputies said Saad and Luis Rincon, a store clerk, asked several people to steal baby formula from area grocery stores.
Saad and Rincon paid $4 per can for the baby formula, then sold it at Mike's Food Store and several other area convenience stores owned by Saad, authorities said. He also owns the Snax convenience stores in the Temple Terrace area.
Hillsborough sheriff's chief Deputy David Gee said Saad made $4,000 to $5,000 per week in profit from the stolen baby food.
Undercover officers infiltrated the scam by going to the convenience store, making arrangements to sell Saad baby formula and then negotiating a price, authorities said.
According to a report, Saad paid the officers $1,700 for $3,800 worth of formula.
A search of Mike's Food Store yielded $5,000 in stolen property, Gee said.
Rick Morera, spokesman for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said local authorities began investigating Saad last year when he was arrested on drug charges.
They discovered that Saad was renting the N 50th Street property from Sami Al-Arian, who was arrested by federal agents in February. Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida professor, has been charged with supporting, promoting and raising money for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a terrorist group considered responsible for more than 100 deaths.
Al-Arian is in jail awaiting trial.
Authorities are looking at the connection between Saad and Al-Arian. Gee said the link "is of interest."
"But it may be nothing more than just coincidence," Gee said.
Saad, 36, lives at 6408 N Queensway Drive. Officials said Saad is of Jordanian descent and is a U.S. citizen.
Rincon, 39, lives at 12810 Cedar Forest Drive, Apartment 305. He was charged with racketeering and dealing in stolen property.
FDLE officials said Rincon is from Colombia and may face deportation because he is not a U.S. citizen.
A third man, Gary Wayne Thompson of 10524 Bayhill Circle in Thonotosassa, was arrested on charges of racketeering and dealing in stolen property.