Oklahoma authorities bust alleged robbery ring responsible for nearly 600 missing holiday Amazon packages
By Paul P. Murphy and Amir Vera, CNN
Thanks to a garbage bag containing an envelope with an address, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office was able to bust the alleged robbery ring responsible for nearly 600 missing Amazon packages during the holidays.
Initially on December 30, authorities found the packages dumped in a rural area of northeast Oklahoma, according to their Facebook post about the incident. The packages were supposed to have been delivered by Christmas and had left an Amazon facility en route to a US Postal Service facility for delivery. Some of the packages had the items within them removed, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies also found a garbage bag containing an envelope with an address and a receipt from a local store, the post read.
Detectives then obtained a search warrant and executed it at a Luther, Oklahoma, home where they found it filled with thousands of undelivered Amazon packages, which police say were stolen from a local Amazon distribution site.
“Everywhere you could stick something, we found packages,” Capt. Robert Tye said, in closets, a detached garage, the attic and even an underground storm shelter.
Two of the three suspects are Cuban nationals in the US illegally, and detectives are still confirming their identities, the Facebook post said. Investigators are working with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to confirm the identities.
CNN has reached out to ICE for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
The suspects had been working with Amazon as third-party drivers, according to Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III. T
All three suspects will face at least 15 felony counts of possession of stolen property and embezzlement, though more charges could be filed. One also will be charged with possession of methamphetamine, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“We are thankful for the quick investigative work of the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office and are committed to taking care of any customers who may have been impacted by this criminal activity,” said Kelly Nantel, Amazon spokesperson.
The sheriff’s office has returned packages to Amazon to be re-delivered, the Facebook post said.
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