Two employees from a UPS facility in Doral, Miami-Dade, were taken into custody last Thursday, accused of orchestrating a systematic theft operation of electronics that resulted in losses exceeding $100,000 since April 2025.
The individuals arrested are Jose Divine Fernandes Correia, 52, from Pembroke Pines, and Ruth Cristaldo, 53, as reported by authorities according to NBC Miami.
Both were assigned to the night shift at the facility located at 13350 NW 17th Street: Fernandes Correia handled packages, while Cristaldo was responsible for inventory control.
They face charges of organized fraud of $50,000 or more and second-degree grand theft.
A judge set their bail at $20,000 each on Friday, just one day after their arrest.
The Intricate Scheme Unveiled
According to arrest reports, the operation was meticulously planned and executed by the two employees.
Fernandes Correia identified high-value electronic devices—such as Apple and Samsung phones, tablets, and laptops—on the loading docks, removed their original tracking labels, extracted the items, and discarded the empty boxes.
Using her access credentials to the company's internal system, Cristaldo created fraudulent shipping labels and repackaged the items into different boxes, which were then processed and dispatched the following morning.
These altered packages were sent to two addresses on Northwest 33rd Street in Miami, using seemingly legitimate business names: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, JC Electronics, and JC Auto Parts.
Local 10 reported that Cristaldo generated over 198 fraudulent labels since April 2025 using her access credentials.
How the Scheme Was Busted
The investigation was initiated by UPS's internal security and the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Organized Retail Crime Squad after receiving reports from multiple senders about missing packages.
Last Tuesday, after surveillance cameras captured the suspects handling a package, investigators visited the facility and found an altered box containing 10 Apple MacBook laptops and three Bose headphones, valued at approximately $10,000, set to be delivered to Barnes & Noble.
The next day, they discovered another package with 40 Apple iPhones—models 16 and 17—and two Samsung Galaxy phones, with an estimated value of $45,000, addressed to a business associated with Amazon.
UPS security intercepted this second package before it reached the delivery driver.
Additionally, investigators found at least 10 more packages hidden in the facility's inventory control area, still awaiting labeling.
The two employees were arrested on Thursday during their regular shift at the Doral facility.
UPS responded swiftly and decisively to the incident.
"UPS has zero tolerance for theft. These individuals are no longer employed with the company," a UPS spokesperson stated, according to NBC Miami.
A Recurring Issue in South Florida
This incident is not an isolated case but part of a documented pattern of internal thefts within the logistics chain across South Florida.
In May 2026, two teenage employees at a UPS store in Miami Lakes were arrested for stealing 80 boxes of merchandise valued at $40,000.
In June of the same year, a UPS driver in Hialeah was accused of stealing a $55,000 Rolex from a package in transit during his delivery route.
In July, a former FedEx Freight employee turned himself in to the police for stealing over $31,000 in Apple products intended for retail stores in Miami-Dade.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Organized Retail Crime Squad has been the investigating entity in several of these cases, highlighting the magnitude and systematic nature of the problem in the region.
Fernandes Correia and Cristaldo remain under judicial process, with their bail set at $20,000 each.
Understanding the UPS Package Theft Case
What charges are the UPS employees facing?
They are charged with organized fraud of $50,000 or more and second-degree grand theft.
How did the employees execute the theft scheme?
The employees identified high-value electronic items, removed original tracking labels, and used fraudulent shipping labels to repackage and redirect the items.
What was the response from UPS after the arrests?
UPS stated they have zero tolerance for theft and confirmed that the individuals involved are no longer employed by the company.