Arrest in Thefts of Apple Products


Fairfax County Police Department
Public Information Office
4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030
703-246-2253. TTY 703-204-2264. Fax 703-246-4253
FCPD-PIO@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police
News Release:/13/155/0101/(7)LHC
June 4, 2013

Arrest in Thefts of Apple Products
West Springfield Police District – Police arrested a 31-year-old Dumfries man and charged him with embezzlement of more than 60 Apple electronic products from unopened shipping packages at his worksite.

Fairfax County Police detectives received complaints from security at the United Parcel Service (UPS) facility at 8200 Alban Road in Springfield in November 2012. Security staff reported that large quantities of Apple products were disappearing from the facility. Thefts were reportedly taking place in batches since September 2012, and included such items as Macbooks, iPhones, iPods and iPads all being shipped directly from Apple to new customers. UPS became suspicious when customers started calling to inquire or complain that they had not received their products.

Detectives worked with company security, and after six months of scrutiny, court orders, and a complex investigation, they uncovered the sophisticated scam that involved primarily online buyers and sellers across the D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia region.

Stephen A. Owens, a UPS sorter, was arrested May 3, 2013 and charged with embezzlement. Police believe Owens was reportedly taking the unopened Apple products, stuffing them into his pants or otherwise concealing them and then working with others to sell them at bargain prices for holiday shoppers.

Police remind consumers, whether online or in person, to make sure they are not purchasing items that may have been stolen. Shop from trusted, reliable vendors to ensure the quality and authenticity of the product you are seeking. If an online listing price seems extremely low, the purchaser should be wary. Knowingly purchasing stolen items is a violation of law in Virginia: § 18.2-108. Receiving, etc., stolen goods.



A.If any person buys or receives from another person, or aids in concealing, any stolen goods or other thing, knowing the same to have been stolen, he shall be deemed guilty of larceny thereof, and may be proceeded against, although the principal offender is not convicted.
B.If any person buys or receives any goods or other thing, used in the course of a criminal investigation by law enforcement that such person believes to have been stolen, he shall be deemed guilty of larceny thereof.
(Code 1950, § 18.1-107; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2008, c. 578.)



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This is easy to fix. Apple should just deactivate and "brick" any product that is reported stolen by the owner. Apple has a record of the serial numbers and should just send the police to the house of anyone attempting to activate a stolen item.

Love it when Obama supporters get caught implementing his wealth redistribution.

Detectives worked with company security, and after six months of scrutiny, court orders, and a complex investigation, they uncovered the sophisticated scam that involved primarily online buyers and sellers across the D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia region.




So a UPS employee steals the shipments and then sells them online or to pawn shops. How is this a sophisticated or complex scam?

eesh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Detectives worked with company security, and
> after six months of scrutiny, court orders, and a
> complex investigation, they uncovered the
> sophisticated scam that involved primarily online
> buyers and sellers across the D.C., Maryland, and
> Northern Virginia region.
>
>
>
>
> So a UPS employee steals the shipments and then
> sells them online or to pawn shops. How is this a
> sophisticated or complex scam?

You're right, it's not a sophisticated or complex scam. What you have here is the "red tape" (procedures, policies, etc.) from such an investigation delaying resolution.

Wow.. A complex investigation??

I assure you the employee did not simply "stuff" the items in his pants or on his person.

UPS has security at every sort facility that checks and scans employees leaving the facility via medal detectors and hand wands.

You can bring in anything you want into the facility (weapons, explosives, anything).. But you are not leaving that facility with it..

Its very simple to be a theif at ups.. but the employee must be of low moral character to steal shit though.

That's what you get when you hire niggers.

UPS worker in Springfield charged with embezzlement
Police allege man stole more than 60 Apple products being shipped
by Gregg MacDonald Staff writer
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20130606/NEWS/130609626/1117/ups-worker-in-springfield-charged-with-embezzlement&template=fairfaxTimes

Fairfax County police have arrested a United Parcel Service worker in Springfield and charged him with embezzlement of more than 60 Apple electronic products from unopened shipping packages at the UPS facility where he worked.

Police said Tuesday that Stephen A. Owens, 31, of Dumfries was a sorter at the UPS facility at 8200 Alban Road in Springfield. Police alleged that Owens was taking the unopened Apple products—including Macbooks, iPhones, iPods and iPads--stuffing them into his pants or otherwise concealing them and then working with others to sell them at bargain prices.

Fairfax County Police detectives said they began receiving complaints from security at the UPS facility in November 2012, just before the holidays.

UPS security staff reported that large quantities of Apple products were disappearing from the facility. Thefts had been reportedly taking place in batches since September 2012 that were being shipped directly from Apple to new customers. UPS security staff became suspicious when customers started calling to inquire or complain that they had not received their products, according to police.

In a release, Fairfax County police said detectives from the West Springfield district station worked with UPS security, and after six months of scrutiny, court orders, and a six-month investigation, uncovered a “sophisticated scam that involved primarily online buyers and sellers across the D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia region.”

Susan Rosenberg, a spokesperson for United Parcel Service said Tuesday that incidents such as this one are not unheard of at UPS facilities.

“They have happened before, but not with any frequency,” she said.

Rosenberg said UPS has “layered security measures” in place for just such occurrences.

“We perform criminal background checks on all our employees and have security screenings at our facilities,” she said. “In addition, we train our managers to be aware of employee behavior and if need be, we call law enforcement and bring them in if a situation warrants it.”

Police remind consumers--whether online or in person--to make sure they are not purchasing items that may have been stolen. Knowingly purchasing stolen items is a violation of Virginia law and is treated accordingly, as larceny.

In other Apple theft news, seems like Joe Francis isn't too happy about this girlfriend's iPad being stolen and containing their sex video:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/joe-francis-stolen-sex-tape-563705

Sorry, should have included a pic of her.
Attachments:

and I smile from up here in heaven.