A delivery driver regarded by colleagues as the model employee stole nearly 700 parcels worth £36,000 and sold them to “unsuspecting customers” on eBay.
Lyndon Linton admitted eight counts of theft from his employer Hermes parcel delivery but Recorder Jeremy Jenkins said the extent of his offending was far greater.
Sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court , the judge described the scheme as “a wholly dishonest enterprise”.
The court heard the 58-year-old was employed as a driver for Hermes in 2007 and was considered by his colleagues as a “model courier”.
Prosecutor Michael Hallett said Linton was promoted to work as a sub-controller at weekends, meaning he was responsible for distributing parcels to other couriers.
But a manager at the Newport depot noticed the number of claims for missing parcels was unusually high.
Other couriers wrongly blamed
Mr Hallett said Linton would steal parcels allocated to other drivers, adding: “If the thefts were discovered the fingers of blame would not point at him.”
He added some of the other couriers had their contracts terminated after being wrongly blamed for missing parcels.
Prosecutors said Hermes received £18,000 worth of claims for missing items between February 2014 and August 2015.
The court heard the defendant stole goods including vacuum cleaners, food processors, bath mats, cooking utensils, and a jar of plastic flowers.
He then sold the items on eBay, using his account DelBoy2410.
Mr Hallett said Linton’s niece Nadine Linton and her boyfriend Steven Bishop became “embroiled” in the conspiracy in March 2015 by helping to sell the items.
Police executed a search warrant at Lyndon Linton’s address in Ringwood Place in Newport in August 2015 and found 166 parcels.
The prosecutor said it was impossible to calculate the loss to the company but the goods recovered – which made up the eight counts of theft – were worth £9,400.
Police found items from retailers including River Island, H&M, Arcadia and QVC.
Stole nearly 700 parcels
Officers then analysed the eBay accounts, along with messages between the defendants, and calculated that a total of 683 items had been stolen with an estimated value of £36,000.
Lyndon Linton said his co-defendants received a third of the profits and admitted using Hermes to deliver the stolen goods to eBay customers.
Between March and August 2015, Nadine Linton received £5,000 into her bank account and Bishop received £3,800 into his account.
The judge described Lyndon Linton as the “prime mover” in the scheme and the court heard he had a previous conviction for benefit fraud.
Ruth Smith, defending, described Lyndon Linton, who started work as a baker, as a “hardworking man” and “responsible father”.
He was sentenced to 32 months in prison for one count of money laundering and eight counts of theft from his employer.
Nadine Linton, 30, from Dents Hill in Newport, admitted money laundering.
Nigel Fryer, defending, told the court she has mental health problems and described her as a “vulnerable woman” who is easily influenced by others.
She was sent to prison for 12 months which was suspended for 18 months and was ordered to obey a curfew.
Gareth Moorley, defending 29-year-old Steven Bishop from Ladyhill Road in Newport, stressed that his client had no previous convictions or cautions.
He was sent to prison for a year which was suspended for 18 months and was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/delivery-driver-stole-parcels-worth-12015977
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