Target Stores Targeted in Sophisticated Theft Ring

Two men used their homemade UPC labels to rip off stores across much of southeastern Pennsylvania.

Two local men used homemade UPC labels to steal $24,000 worth of goods from Target stores in the area, and then turned around and sold the stolen items on eBay for more than $172,000 according to court documents.

Damian Alexander Gasdaska, from Phillipsburg, New Jersey and Eugene Joseph Romano, from Center Valley, Pa. ran the operation, using "other unknown accomplices" according to the affidavit.

The men are accused of ripping off Target stores in 11 counties across Southeastern Pennsylvania.

They did it by making their own UPC labels at home that identified certain products at discounted prices, according to the court documents. Then they put those labels on higher-priced items of the same brand, buying everything from Dyson vacuums to Bose speakers and Medela breast pumps for a fraction of the price, according to the affidavit.

The alleged conspirators turned around and sold the merchandise on eBay.

Gasdaska, Romano and their accomplices used fake or stolen identities, according to the affidavit. They made more than $172,000 from eBay sales and Gasdaska was caught personally laundering the proceeds into a joint bank account and he and his wife used the money on everything from groceries, to gasoline and even to pay their mortgage, according to the affidavit.

Investigators used surveillance video as evidence, according to the affidavit.

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The two men face multiple theft, conspiracy and related charges.

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