Antwone Tate, once a trusted FedEx worker in the hustle and bustle of the Memphis Hub, allegedly found the siren call of certain “perks” far too tempting to resist. By perks, we mean pocketing packages filled with goods to make any treasure hunter’s heart race: an $8,500 diamond ring, close to $14,000 in gold bars, and some incredibly rare baseball cards. Apparently, items like these were just waiting to become part of his own “lost and found.”
The ballad of the wayward FedEx employee began on an otherwise mundane May 27th. Thanks to a careful and observant Loss Prevention team, a few unsettling voids in the inventory were flagged. As everyone’s favorite novel and movie detective can tell you, where there’s smoke, there’s often fire, or in this case, a trail of opulent booty. Like any good detective tale, this one also had a paper trail—or perhaps in this case, a glitter trail—that led investigators just a hop, skip, and a jump away to a local pawn shop. There, the vanishing ring and gold bars resurfaced as conspicuously as Tate’s attempt to disguise himself with his own driver’s license.
By this point, you’d think Tate would have realized that precision and secrecy are paramount in any heist scenario. Yet the veil of naive confidence seems to have covered him fully as Antwone’s enterprising side hustle rolled on. The plot thickens with a third package that evaporated from the hands of its rightful recipient. This time, the vanished loot amounted to a grandiose display of collective and historical nostalgia: a collection of vintage baseball cards. Among the prized casualties were a majestic 1915 Cracker Jack Chief Bender and a 1933 Goudey Sport Kings Ty Cobb, worth a tear or two to those who count sports cards as treasures. The total value of these cardboard treasures? Oh, nothing substantial—just a cool $6,800.
In a twist worth including in any crime story, these little cardboard pieces of history found their way onto eBay. Tampering with postal packages is all fun and games until the items turn up for auction under a username obvious enough for a detective to solve in an afternoon: antta_57. Now, the Internet being the web of connectivity it is, a simple username investigation linked straight to our illustrious man of the hour: Antwone Tate.
With a track record already sullied by accusations and the weight of evidence tipping the scales against him, Tate took a one-way flight through justice, destination: theft charges. Triple heist charges, to be exact, though frankly, when one’s caught red-handed, one charge feels very much like the next.
FedEx reacted in a corporate stealth of professionalism and dexterity, the motorized equivalent of a broom clearing the riffraff from the streets. Their statement was clear and succinct, confirming that Antwone Tate is no longer employed with them. Oh, and a handy PSA for future adherents: stealing is not listed under the list of job duties or perks. Surprising as that might be.
For those customers who find their “out for delivery” items taking an eternal sabbatical into realms unknown, a dash of agenda-overflow-advice: glance over eBay listings, but perhaps steer clear of bywords antta_58 and any suspiciously good deals on premium collectibles and fine jewelry. After all, there’s only so much mystery in the world that can actually, truthfully, fit inside a cardboard box.
