Dwight Oliver, 40, of Grand Prairie, Texas, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to mail fraud. Oliver has also been ordered to pay $1,435,954.62 in restitution.
According to court documents, from May 2021 to August 2022, Dwight Oliver worked as a facility supervisor for a company that operated a warehouse in Plainfield, Indiana.
Between June 2021 and September 2021, approximately $2 million worth of Fitbit devices went missing in transit to multiple Amazon fulfillment centers across the United States. Through an internal investigation, Amazon discovered that the missing devices were associated with bulk purchase orders that had transited at one time through the warehouse where Oliver worked.
In June of 2021, Oliver began stealing Fitbits devices from the warehouse. He disabled the GPS tracker of his employer’s sprinter van, allowing him to transport the stolen merchandise from the warehouse without detection by his employer. Oliver posted the stolen devices for sale on eBay, representing himself as a legitimate third-party seller.
Oliver used the United States Post Office to mail one hundred stolen Fitbit devices to buyers across the country. In total, Oliver received approximately $687,540.53 for the sale of the stolen Fitbits.
“Modern eCommerce depends modern logistics and supply chains, including many businesses in the Southern District of Indiana. Criminals who abuse their positions of trust to steal from customers and their employers cause harm to our economy and raise prices for everyone,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I commend our partners at the FBI and our federal prosecutor for their commitment to this case and ensuring that the individual responsible was held accountable. The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that financial crimes can cause serious harm and can result in serious consequences.”
“Today’s sentence should serve as a strong reminder that the exploitation of online platforms won’t be tolerated. Theft of merchandise not only disrupts the digital marketplace but undermines the trust consumers place in e-commerce platforms,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Danny Youmara. “The FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those participating in such schemes are held accountable.”
FBI investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman.