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NYC man accused of stealing hundreds of OTC medications in NH spree

HUDSON, N.H. — A Staten Island man is being held without bail after police said he carried out a coordinated retail theft operation, stealing 455 containers of over-the-counter medications from Walmart and several Hannaford grocery stores before fleeing from officers.

The Hudson Police said they arrested 28-year-old Yasin Shearin after Walmart employees on Lowell Road reported a “repeat theft suspect” they wanted removed for trespassing. When officers approached him, Shearin displayed a New York driver’s license on his phone, but the photo did not match him, and he struggled to answer questions about his identity, including his Social Security number, according to a police affidavit.

Police said they linked him to a prior felony theft at the same Walmart involving nearly $1,500 in merchandise on Oct. 29. According to the affidavit, during that prior incident, the store’s asset protection employee took surveillance of Shearin placing items into a tote and walking past all points of sale. The employee told police Shearin appeared to be attempting the same method again on Dec. 17, concealing Zyrtec inside a closed tote.

Police said the store’s asset protection employee also alleged Shearin had “numerous open cases around the area regarding past thefts with Walmart.”

As police moved to arrest him, Shearin allegedly resisted and ran from the store. Officers chased him across the parking lot and apprehended him by the nearby McDonald’s.

Police said Shearin tried to get into a black 2025 Nissan SUV with New York plates during the chase. The vehicle was seized, and a search warrant allegedly uncovered 455 items of over-the-counter medications — Tylenol, Zyrtec, Nexium, Nicorette, Motrin, Dulcolax, Nexium, Pepcid, Breathe Right nasal strips and more — packed into bags.

Police said they also found marijuana and what they believe to be butane hash oil.

The affidavit states GPS data obtained from the vehicle showed it had stopped at several Walmart and Hannaford supermarkets in New Hampshire, including locations in Salem, Bedford, Seabrook, Manchester, Derry, Londonderry and Hudson.

Surveillance footage from the Hudson store showed Shearin entering alone, heading directly to the vitamin and health aisle, and concealing medications in a blue bag hidden inside a shopping cart before walking out without paying, according to the affidavit.

Police later matched the blue bag to one allegedly seized from the SUV.

Shearin was arraigned in the 9th Circuit Nashua District Court on Friday. Court documents state he entered a not-guilty plea to willful concealment, a Class A misdemeanor, and no pleas to receiving stolen property ($1,501 or more), a Class A felony, and organized retail crime enterprise and theft by unauthorized taking ($1,001-$1,501), both Class B felonies.

A judge ordered him held without bail, citing his risk of flight, multiple open cases in other states, and what was described as a safety risk to himself and the community if released.

Shearin was appointed a public defender, Alex Charles Fernald, who was not immediately available for comment.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social. 

Aaron Curtis

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