August 11, 2010 9:09 AM

UPS Driver, Wife Team Up to Steal Packages, Sell Merchandise on eBay

By
Hannah Atkin
Topics
Daily Blotter

Contents of some UPS packages stolen by Florida couple (WINK)

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (CBS/AP) What can brown do for you? In the case of a former UPS driver and his wife accused of stealing packages from his employer and reselling their contents on eBay, it can get you probation or even jail time.

The couple pleaded no contest on Monday in Cape Coral, Florida.

Craig Podleski, 39, was charged with larceny of interstate commerce of more than $50,000 and sentenced to five years in prison.

Cheryl Podleski, 43, was charged with trafficking of stolen property and sentenced to five years probation.

The couple was arrested in August 2009 after Cheryl turned her husband into the authorities. Police later discovered that she was helping her husband sell the stolen goods online and was taken into custody as well, reports CBS affiliate WINK.

The former UPS driver is believed to have stolen more than $250,000 worth of items including rifles, handguns, flat-screen televisions, radios, samurai swords, watches, stereos, cigars and a marble-top kitchen island. The real mystery now is, how did no one see him steal a package the size of a marble-top kitchen island?


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by judie824 September 8, 2011 11:49 AM EDT
Certainly not very good PR for UPS. Hope they fix this, and soon. Anybody check eBay yet for this stolen item?
Reply to this comment
by Wildwood1966 August 11, 2010 3:14 PM EDT
something doesn't make sense - sure they can steal it just the way you describe - in real life things do get lost "once in a while" but not that much - from same driver's route? No - UPS had to pay these customers for the lost merchandise so unless someone in fraud prevention was helping this guy - something BIG is wrong at UPS I like Fed Ex anyway :)
Reply to this comment
by Qwerqwe2 August 27, 2010 7:56 AM EDT
You are right. Level of "lost" shipments at UPS must be very high and become familiar with the situation. Every shipment lost normally has a claim, and being frequent and for a long period is warrying on how the company system works. Probably the driver stoled the shipments at the facility prior to his route scanning. Normally in an organized company and with systems in place is unthinkable to happen in the route.
by cyberus-2009 August 11, 2010 12:25 PM EDT
Marble top kitchen island ... how did nobody see him steal it?

That's easy.

Scan it as delivered then he either drove by his house and dropped it off or his wife met him somewhere on the route and they transferred it (and other stuff) to their personal vehicle. I'm not even a delivery driver and that only took a few seconds to figure out.
Reply to this comment
by betopless August 11, 2010 9:41 AM EDT
The probably didn't notice them stealing it because they thought they were making a delivery!
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