SF liquor store employees busted for buying stolen merchandise

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Employees of a San Francisco corner liquor store have been arrested for allegedly buying merchandise stolen from Nordstrom in a crackdown on retail theft in the city.

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced that Allala Mouaizi had been arrested and an arrest warrant issued for Said Mahtout after the illegal fencing operation was uncovered in cooperation with California Alcohol Beverage Control agents and Nordstrom security officers.

Without the knowledge of the owner of Zain Liquors, the pair allegedly purchased the stolen merchandise on two occasions from an ABC undercover agent.

Authorities had been tipped off to the operation and launched an undercover operation in March.

Mouaizi has been charged with four felony counts of attempted receiving or buying stolen property while Mahtout faces one misdemeanor count of attempted possession of stolen property.

"I am proud of the work of the District Attorney's Office's Special Investigations Unit for leading this successful organized retail theft operation," Boudin said in a news release. "Our partnership with the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control has helped identify and hold accountable the people coordinating organized retail theft crimes in San Francisco."

In addition to Operation ABC, the DA's Special Investigations Unit is currently conducting multiple other operations to combat organized retail theft.

Last year, DA investigative team operations resulted in arrests, prosecutions or arrest warrants issued for eight individuals.