The desirability and high value of iPhones and other Apple devices make the gear a popular target for criminals looking to make a fast buck.
In the latest such case, a now former UPS employee is accused of stealing more than $1.3 million worth of Apple iPhones and laptops from the shipping company’s warehouse in Winnipeg, Canada, before selling them in an operation that continued for seven months, the Winnipeg Free Press reported this week.
Police have charged the suspect, 30-year-old Orville Beltrano, with theft, possession of property obtained by crime, trafficking property obtained by crime, and possession of the proceeds of crime.
Beltrano was hired by UPS as a sorting supervisor 11 years ago. Between July 2023 and January this year, police allege that Beltrano stole at least 866 Apple-made items before selling them in bulk to someone he met on an online marketplace.
Investigators identified the suspect from footage captured by video cameras that were installed at the UPS warehouse after the company realized that an unusually high number of items were going missing,
Footage recorded in January shows Beltrano allegedly taking iPhones and Apple laptops from the warehouse to his office and later to his car on three occasions, with as many as 12o iPhones going missing during one shift alone. Investigators then looked at Beltrano’s earlier work schedule and found that other thefts coincided with his work schedule.
The case against Beltrano alleges that he deposited just over $232,000 in bank accounts between September and mid-January and used the proceeds to buy a house, with the sale being approved just a few days before his arrest. Prosecutors have asked the court for approval to seize Beltrano’s house and vehicle, $9,000 in cash, and the money in his bank accounts.
