Little Debbie snack delivery driver charged in $17,000 fraud scheme

A Little Debbie delivery driver is facing a slew of charges after police said he sold his snacks for cash at flea markets across Washington County and then submitted thousands of dollars' worth of fake invoices to make it look like stores had bought his product.

The local investigation into 39-year-old James Powell of Valley Grove, West Virginia, began in May when the City of Washington Police Department said it was contacted by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office about an investigation involving Stewart Snacks, LLC, in Richmond, Ohio, and allegations of theft and fraud against Powell, who was a former employee. 

The business owner told police that, as an employee, Powell ordered, transported, delivered, stocked and serviced Little Debbie snack products at various retail locations throughout Washington County. 

Under the billing process, distributors delivered products to stores and submitted invoices, which stores would then pay, police explained. On top of that, investigators said Powell was paid on a commission basis. At the end of each week, Powell would get paid based on how many snacks he had sold in his assigned territory. 

Investigators said they uncovered fraudulent invoices to stores like Shop 'n Save, Giant Eagle and Walmart totaling more than $13,300 from July to September of last year. Police learned that Powell had been selling the Little Debbie snacks to people for cash from his delivery vehicle at flea markets, then submitting fake invoices indicating those products had been delivered. He also earned more than $3,700 in commission, police said, bringing the total loss to over $17,100. 

Powell has been charged with forgery, theft by deception, theft by unlawful taking, deceptive or fraudulent business practices and tampering with records or identification.