In an unexpected detour from your average courier routine, one FedEx employee found himself under scrutiny and then downright busted for turning his delivery duties into an impromptu treasure hunt. Antwone Tate, a FedEx worker based in Memphis, apparently decided that some of the packages passing through his hands possessed too much allure to resist. They weren’t just any packages, but those containing an $8,500 diamond ring, nearly $14,000 in gold bars, and a few coveted relics of America’s pastime—vintage baseball cards that any serious collector would consider priceless cardboard.
The saga unfurled on May 27 when the folks at FedEx’s Loss Prevention department noticed something was amiss at their Memphis Hub. Packages were vanishing like Houdini, disappearing without a trace. A quick investigation followed, and Tate’s deception unraveled with the ease of peeling off an old postage stamp. His mistake? Leaving a trail that sparkled both literally and figuratively. Investigators traced the glittering booty—diamond ring and gold bars—straight to a nearby pawn shop. Tate, in what was surely an act of supreme nonchalance or perhaps glaring oversight, had used his very own driver’s license while attempting to offload the loot.
Lesson in hindsight: if you’re thinking of emulating a heist from your workplace, anonymity is key. Spoiler: relating personal details directly to stolen goods is tantamount to leaving a calling card that says “Arrest me.”
But the tale doesn’t end at jewels and bullion. This yarn spins a little further. There was a third package involved in this escapade, brimming not with precious metals or jewels but with the nostalgic smell of history and baseball—a 1915 Cracker Jack Chief Bender card and a 1933 Goudey Sport Kings Ty Cobb card, the stuff of a collector’s reverie. Valued around $6,800, these pieces of Americana also mysteriously vanished. Enterprising or foolhardy, Tate decided to try his luck on eBay. Operating under the pseudonym “antta_57,” he put these cards up for auction, although that user name might as well have been “iamguilty_100”, for it proved to be his undoing.
By the time law enforcement closed in, it was clear that Tate’s days at FedEx were numbered. He now faces charges of theft of property for orchestrating a heist that could have been the stuff of legend, had it not ended with such a rookie mistake. True to their word and their policies, FedEx swiftly issued a statement making it clear that Tate was no longer part of the team. They underlined the fact that “stealing is, in fact, not part of the job description”—a reminder that perhaps shouldn’t need underlining.
For those customers who nervously track their packages, wondering why their expected deliveries have slipped into a logistical black hole, Tate’s tale offers a cautionary crumb of wisdom: check eBay before panic sets in. But maybe, just maybe, steer clear of items listed by anyone vaguely reminiscent of antta_58 or its numerical kin. You might just end up with a part of this story that isn’t as collectible as a Ty Cobb card.
As the story of Antwone Tate shuffles into the annals of employee theft lore, it serves as a reminder that temptation can lurk in the most mundane of workplaces and that, while opportunity may knock, you still need to be smart about which doors you open. But just a heads-up to Tate, the former delivery guy who turned a job perk into a plotline reminiscent of “Pirates of the Caribbean”—maybe stick to delivering pizzas next time. The only gold there is cheesy.
