WCNYH

Shoplifter Denied Registration to Work in Warehouse

July 8, 2019

Today, the Commission issued an Order denying the longshore application of Heidy Valencia Herrera, 36, of Elizabeth, NJ, for a position to perform warehouse labor, following a hearing conducted by Administrative Law Judge Michael Zidonik. The Commission followed the recommendation of Judge Zidonik who found that Ms. Valencia Herrera’s presence at the piers or other waterfront terminals in the Port of New York district constitutes a danger to the public peace or safety within the meaning of the Waterfront Commission Act in that on December 2015, the applicant shoplifted merchandise valued at $124.00 from a Stop and Shop located in Elizabeth, NJ when she possessed $176.00 in cash and valid credit cards on her person. The Judge ruled that Valencia Herrera’s presence was a danger, especially in light of her potentially working at the piers where “cargo theft is an ongoing problem” and which “always carries the potential for physical confrontation, as does the simple act of shoplifting at a store.”