Bloomingdale's security guards stole goods worth $260G, cops say

Two Bloomingdale's security guards were arraigned on felony charges Wednesday after, police said, they used their positions to steal more than a quarter-million dollars in merchandise from the Roosevelt Field mall store in East Garden City.

Nassau County police are still searching for an accomplice.

Police said Teron Butcher, 29, and Kenneth John, 30, both of Springfield Gardens, Queens, were arrested at Bloomingdale's at 12:20 p.m. Tuesday. Butcher and John are each charged with three counts of third-degree burglary and one count of second-degree grand larceny. Additionally, Butcher is charged with third-degree grand larceny, while John is charged with third-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Butcher was arraigned Wednesday before Judge Paul L. Meli in First District Court in Hempstead and ordered held on $100,000 bond or $100,000 cash bail. A Legal Aid lawyer was assigned and records show Butcher is due back in court Friday.

John was also arraigned Wednesday. He was ordered held on $50,000 bond or $50,000 cash bail. A Legal Aid lawyer was assigned and he is also due back in court Friday.

Third Squad detectives said that while employed as a loss-prevention agent at Bloomingdale's, Butcher "manipulated cameras" to allow John, who also was employed as an anti-theft agent, to "remain in the store after hours undetected." After altering those cameras on Sept. 22, police said, John and the accomplice "removed assorted merchandise" from the store.

The criminal complaint against Butcher indicates he and John also staged thefts at Bloomingdale's on Aug. 27 and Sept. 28.

Police did not detail the merchandise taken and said only that an investigation determined Butcher and John were also responsible for additional larcenies that occurred on "multiple dates." The complaint said: "Both defendants were observed on CCTV by the complainant and over approximately [the] last calendar year [are] believed to be responsible for losses in excess of $260,000."

The complaint charges that on Sept. 28 Butcher "stole for himself approximately $3,045 in merchandise." It also charges that when arrested John was found to be in possession of in excess of $3,000 in stolen merchandise, all of which was recovered.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”