UPS employee opened packages, pawned contents including gold coins, Maryland police say

A man who had multiple gold coins mysteriously go missing in the mail helped catch a UPS worker accused of stealing from packages before shipping them, according to detectives in Maryland.

The 26-year-old suspect is accused of working the scheme out of a UPS store in Gaithersburg, the Montgomery County Department of Police said in an Aug. 22 news release.

She is accused of “stealing the contents of UPS packages she accepted ... and selling the stolen contents at local pawn shops.”

The nine-month investigation began Nov. 21, when one of the victims filed a theft report, police said.

“The victim stated that he sent five gold coins through the UPS store at 11160 Viers Mills (Road). When the package reached the destination, there were only two gold coins,” police said.

“On Monday, April 1 ... the victim later reported to police that the same two coins were located at a coin shop on Wayne Ave.”

That discovery led detectives to a Hyattsville woman working at the same store where he mailed the package. She turned herself in June 26, after a warrant was issued for her arrest, officials said.

“Detectives further determined that (she) stole property from other packages and have charged her for those crimes as well,” police said.

“Detectives believe there may be additional victims who sent packages through the Rockville and Wheaton UPS stores, where (she) was employed. Detectives are asking these victims to come forward.”

Gaithersburg is about a 50-mile drive southwest from Baltimore.

This story was originally published August 23, 2024 at 7:57 AM with the headline "UPS employee opened packages, pawned contents including gold coins, Maryland police say."