Showing posts with label Busy Bee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Busy Bee. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Busy Bee Bike Shop is NOT going out of business

[January 2012]

A tipster sent us the following Craigslist listing last night...



Per the ad: "We at busy bee bike shop are closing down due to the lease going up, so we are giving away free used bicycles."

However. The ad is a FAKE. Per a listing today:



BUSY BEE BIKES (East Village)
THERE ARE NO FREE BICYCLES BEING DISTRIBUTED AT ANY TIME. WE ARE NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS. WE HAVE BICYCLE RENTALS AND BIKES FOR SALE.

No word at the moment who was responsible for the fake Craigslist listing.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Busy Bee back in business

As we noted on Feb. 21, Busy Bee Bikes on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Avenue A was shut down by the cops ...



City Room report that owner Jack Malewich has reopened the shop. Per the article:

The shop reopened on Friday, after a $4,000 fine and under court-ordered stipulations that include random inspections and severe restrictions on purchasing used bikes. While it has stopped accepting used bikes off the street, Mr. Malewich said, the shop continues to buy used bikes from a Connecticut wholesaler.

“We have that found several of the sellers of bikes to Busy Bee had records for crimes including grand larceny, burglary, narcotics, and weapons possession,” said Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman. “One individual who sold four bikes to Busy Bee had 18 prior arrests.

“Busy bees, indeed,” he concluded.

Mr. Malewich, 52, a retired police detective, dismissed the notion that his shop knowingly engaged in any sort of criminal activity. “We have so many repeat customers, you could never have an image like this,” Mr. Malewich said, and he called the whole episode “embarrassing.” He said he believed the undercover officers did not accurately convey to the shop’s employees that the bikes were stolen. “To these kids, ‘hot’ — it doesn’t mean stolen,” he said. “It just means, you know, a nice bike.”


For further reading on Streetsblog.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

More on the Busy Bee Bike bust



Jack Savage at StreetsBlog has a lot more details about the bust at Busy Bee Bike shop on Sixth Street this past Friday...

Busy Bee Bikes, a familiar destination for local cyclists, was forced to close its doors last Friday for criminal possession of stolen property, according to Lt. Patrick Ferguson of the Ninth Precinct.

One Busy Bee employee was arrested at the store that day after purchasing stolen property from an undercover officer, Ferguson said, adding that the owners of Busy Bee will appear in civil court on Wednesday.


Previously on EV Grieve:
Busy Bee Bike shop busted on East Sixth Street

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Busy Bee Bike shop busted on East Sixth Street

We don't know all the details just yet, but Busy Bee Bikes on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Avenue A was shut down by the cops Friday...



EV Grieve reader Creature, who lives on the block, sent along the photo below...



As he noted: "The restraining order mentions criminal possession of stolen property. Innocent until proven guilty, and all that, but it's a shame nonetheless. They have quickly become a Sixth Street staple and added to the overall neighborhood feeling the East Village is known for."

Emey Hoffmann, who owned a number of bike shops through the years, including this one, died of a heart attack on Jan. 7, 2009. He was 63.

Here's a photo of the store on better days... from Ichance on Flickr (via BikeBlogNYC)