Photo: Louisville Metro Department of Corrections
Seven UPS employees in Kentucky have been arrested and charged with engaging in organized crime after officials determined they were stealing shipments of jewelry worth over $11,000.
Investigators said the UPS employees were stealing Swarovski jewelry during their shifts, according to WDRB. Some of the employees would hide the jewelry while others blocked the view of other employees. They also disposed of the empty jewelry boxes to avoid being caught. Police said the thefts were ultimately caught on surveillance video.
"There had been a series of packages that were turning up in the trash that should not have been in the trash. And more specifically, jewelry boxes with the product missing ... We would watch on the surveillance video that they would take a box after fidgeting around for a while then take paper, cover it over the package and then wrap it up in tape and then throw it in the trash can underneath their desk," Louisville Metro Police Detective Charlie Roberts told WDRB.
The value of the stolen jewelry is $11,085 but police said the actual value "is expected to exceed far beyond that" when the investigation is over. Some of the jewelry boxes are unaccounted for.
The following UPS employees were arrested and charged with engaging in organized crime, according to WDRB:
- Yanelis Castro, 39
- Adianez Herrera, 49
- Alixbex Galvon Herrera, 45
- Esther Gonzales, 31
- Aleman Napoles, 49
- Leonel Ruiz Pavo, 31
- Jose Lavin Torres, 44
Six of the seven suspects were given $10,000 cash bonds. Adianez Herrera faces an additional charge of tampering with physical evidence. Police said she tried to toss a piece of jewelry as she was being escorted off UPS property by an employee. She was given a bond of $20,000, according to FOX 19.