Minneapolis delivery driver charged in theft of packages worth thousands

A Minneapolis delivery driver has been accused of a months-long stealing spree that included vacuums, a 50-inch TV and other merchandise worth more than $6,000.

Prosecutors charged Khang Huu Hoang, 25, with theft by swindle. Police arrested Hoang on Oct. 2 before releasing him the next day.

Authorities learned of the alleged scheme when responding to a reported package theft in August. Hoang delivered packages for Shipt, a same-day delivery company, from a Target distribution facility in northeast Minneapolis.

Surveillance footage captured Hoang delivering one Target employee’s vacuum to its destination, taking a picture of the vacuum and then taking it, according to the charges. Delivery drivers are often required to snap pictures of delivered packages to verify they arrived.

As police investigated, they found that Hoang was the delivery driver for packages valued at more than $16,500 that were reported missing across the Twin Cities between July 25 and Sept. 17. Surveillance footage captured Hoang carrying dozens of packages into his apartment building during that time, including packages for a fan, Dyson vacuums, a Roku TV and a 50-inch smart TV, according to the charges. Officers searched Hoang’s apartment on Oct. 2, finding the TVs and vacuums among more than $6,000 in stolen merchandise.

Hoang’s first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 27. Court records do not list a defense attorney for him.

Package thefts continue to trouble Minnesotans this year. Bloomington police arrested an alleged porch pirate in August for stealing packages from residents’ doorsteps. The suspect pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in December.

To avoid package theft, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service offers these tips:

Pick up mail promptly, and if it’s overdue, ask questions: Residents should avoid leaving letters and packages at their door for a long time. If valuable mail did not arrive when expected, contact the sender as soon as possible.

Arrange for a quick pickup: If you can’t be home when a package arrives, USPS suggests making another arrangement or using the Hold for Pickup service. That allows recipients to get packages at a local U.S. Post Office.

Request a signature confirmation: If the mail is important, consider adding a signature confirmation to make sure it is delivered to the right person.

Minneapolis also recommends sending packages to UPS or FedEx store locations and using Amazon lock boxes.