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UNION COUNTY

4 men accused of pilfering pasta products in Linden

Suzanne Russell
@SRussellMyCJ

LINDEN – Looking to have some pasta with those meatballs? No problem, thanks to police, who recovered a stolen trailer filled with pasta products worth several thousand dollars.

Around 11:35 p.m. Tuesday, Linden detectives, working the New Jersey State Police Interstate Theft Unit, recovered a stolen trailer of pasta products parked on a local street that was set to be moved out of the area.

Police were conducting surveillance around 11:05 p.m. when they saw four men pull up in two vehicles, a car and a tractor.

Police said the tractor was hooked up to the trailer and attempted to drive off when they were stopped by a backup team of officers.

According to police, the trailer was reported stolen from Bayonne on May 7.

Arrested were Mahran Khales, 31, of Palisades Park; Ali Iseed, 45, of West New York; Numan M. Khalil, 50, of North Bergen; and Kenneth M. Maysonett, 29, of Elizabeth. The four men were charged with receiving stolen property, fencing and conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property, police said.

Bail was set at $60,000 for Khalil, $75,000 for Iseed and $150,000 for Khales. Maysonnet was released on a summons, police said.

This isn't the first time truckloads of food products for an Italian feast have been stolen. Several years ago, a truck load of mozzarella cheese was stolen in Linden.

Anyone with information about the attempted theft can contact Auto Squad Detective Matthew Damatta at 908-474-8538.

Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com