FedEx driver was running late, so he left piles of packages in woods, Florida cops say

A FedEx driver running late on his route decided to cut some corners and abandon dozens of packages in the woods, according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle.

The ruse came to light when people started finding FedEx boxes in the woods and beside the road at multiple locations near Bonifay, the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office said in a Dec. 21 news release. Bonifay is about a 95-mile drive northwest of Tallahassee.

In all, 44 packages have been found, but investigators suspect even more may still be sitting in the woods.

The conspicuous trial led the sheriff’s office to contact FedEx and ask if one driver in particular could be linked to the route.

“FedEx identified ... a contracted worker from Alabama, as the individual responsible for delivery,” the sheriff’s office said.

“During the interview, (he) admitted to deputies that, due to the late hour, he chose to discard the undelivered packages at several locations rather than return them to the FedEx warehouse.”

The driver was arrested and “charged with organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and illegal dumping,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The recovered packages went to the Bonifay Post Office, which ensured they were delivered to their rightful owners,” officials said.

As for the possibility more packages wait to be found, detectives have asked people with overdue FedEx deliveries to contact the sheriff’s office.

This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 7:25 AM with the headline "FedEx driver was running late, so he left piles of packages in woods, Florida cops say."