News

Former UPS employee held without bond after 150+ packages stolen from Alexandria facility

By James Cullum
Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A 28-year-old D.C. man is being held without bond after allegedly stealing more than 150 packages from a UPS shipping facility in Alexandria.

The suspect worked at a UPS facility in Hyattsville, Md., for three months in 2022 and 2023, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. From April 4 to as recently as June 15, the suspect was captured on security cameras arriving at the UPS facility at 5601 Eisenhower Avenue in rental cars with Virginia tags and entering the building through a bay door.

In that June 15 incident, UPS security told APD that the suspect and two others broke into the property at 2:45 a.m. and stole more than 100 packages from a UPS truck.

UPS security reported these recent incidents:

  • April 4 — The suspect was captured on security cameras entering the facility at around 10:45 a.m. and “seen taking approximately 12 packages containing cell phones and leaving about 20 minutes later,” according to the affidavit.
  • April 6 — The suspect drove to the UPS facility in a rented red Nissan Altima with Virginia tags. A UPS security officer told police that no packages were stolen, and he spotted the suspect and chased him off the property.
  • April 17 —  Around 2 p.m., the suspect entered the facility and allegedly took a box containing an iMac Pro.
  • April 19 — The suspect arrived at around 8 p.m. and allegedly stole 15 to 20 packages.
  • April 22 — The suspect entered the facility, saw UPS staff on site and “immediately flees,” according to APD.
  • April 25 — Around 11:45 a.m., the suspect allegedly took eight to 15 packages from a conveyor belt and fled 20 minutes later in a rented red Mercedes with Virginia plates.
  • May 2 — From 10:30-11:30 a.m., the suspect allegedly stole several packages containing cell phones and AirPods valued at approximately $20,000
  • June 15 — Around 2:45 a.m., three males allegedly entered the property, broke into a truck and stole more than 100 packages

The suspect was arrested on June 21. Police identified him by tracing the license plates back to the rental car company, according to the affidavit. A second suspect also listed in the rental agreements has not been charged.

The suspect was charged with mail theft, a Class 6 felony punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $2,500 fine. His preliminary hearing will be held on Aug. 5.

The 5601 Eisenhower Avenue location is a UPS distribution center and does not currently have a customer center there.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.