2 charged in alleged $1M baby formula theft ring, prosecutors say

Two people have been charged in a baby formula theft ring that allegedly yielded more than $1 million in illegal proceeds and led to products being stolen from Publix, Target and Walmart locations across Florida, state prosecutors recently announced.

Mohammed Alsaidi, 59, and Zeina Abdul-Hassan Sou Zabib, 49, were both charged with multiple first-degree felonies, including one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering and two counts of directing and dealing in stolen property, according to Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier and online court records reviewed by USA TODAY.

The alleged criminal ring is accused of stealing baby formula between November 2024 and June 2025, for a total of $1.1 million, Uthmeier’s office said in a Sept. 10 news release.

Both Alsaidi and Sou Zabib pleaded not guilty to all three charges and were given a $750,000 bond, according to online court records.

Alsaidi's lawyer, Joshua LeRoy, filed a motion to reduce his client's bond on Sept. 8. The attorney told USA TODAY on Friday, Sept. 11, that both defendants are still incarcerated. He declined to comment further, citing the pending criminal case.

Sou Zabib's lawyer, Alan Saladrigas, also declined to comment on Sept. 11. Both defendants have hearings scheduled for…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/