Amazon Flex driver in WA arrested after pile of stolen packages found

Amazon Flex driver accused of stealing packages

If you've ever received a notification saying your package could not be delivered, it may have ended up in a pile outside a Parkland woman's home, who Pierce County deputies believe stole thousands of dollars' worth of Amazon items.

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - An investigation into a suspicious pile of mail at a Parkland residence led Pierce County deputies to a massive stash of undelivered Amazon orders valued at thousands of dollars.

A 58-year-old woman, identified as an independent Amazon Flex driver, was arrested after neighbors reported seeing hundreds of boxes accumulating on her property.

The investigation began when neighbors noticed a growing pile of packages stored in plain sight. According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the sight was unusual enough for neighbors to alert authorities.

"People had seen these packages piled up alongside a garage on this property. They were very concerned about it, it didn't seem normal to them, and had called 911," said Dep. Carly Cappetto with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.

Body camera footage from the scene captured the initial reaction of responding deputies. "That doesn’t look right," one deputy noted, observing that many of the containers were already compromised. "They’re open."

Admitted delivery failure

Upon questioning, the homeowner admitted she was working as a contractor for Amazon Flex. However, investigators say she was picking up routes without any intention of completing the deliveries.

"She just was not able to deliver these packages due to not having gas money at the time, and that she continued to return to the Amazon facility to pick more packages up, knowingly that she wasn't going to be able to deliver them," Cappetto said.

Despite the lack of deliveries, deputies allege the woman continued to collect pay for the routes while the inventory sat in her yard and garage.

Recovered goods and missing items

The scale of the recovery was significant. Deputies located hundreds of boxes spanning a wide delivery radius, including Tenino, Olympia, Spanaway, and Parkland.

In total, authorities recovered approximately $12,000 worth of orders. However, an additional $8,000 in merchandise remains missing.

"Hundreds of them have been opened. Some were opened. Some were not. It was just kind of a random selection," Cappetto said.

While hundreds of customers were left without their orders, the Sheriff’s Department noted the legal technicality of the theft. "But the true victim is Amazon," Cappetto added.

Because the value of the recovered and missing goods exceeds felony thresholds, investigators are pursuing felony theft charges.

During the arrest, the woman was heard on body camera footage asking, "May I call my daughter?" and "Can I be bailed out?" Deputies informed her those details would be handled at the jail.

While the 58-year-old was taken into custody, she has not yet been formally charged. Amazon’s loss prevention team has since recovered the remaining packages found at the property.

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