Amazon Flex driver accused of taking more than 100 packages

SALT LAKE CITY — An Amazon employee in Utah is accused of taking between 100 and 200 packages and keeping them rather than delivering them.

Mabel Tarache Sogamoso, 28, of West Valley City, was charged on Oct. 22 with mail theft and communications fraud, second-degree felonies.

The investigation began Aug. 18 when a loss-prevention employee with Amazon in Salt Lake City contacted police about an employee who allegedly "had stolen Amazon packages while working as an Amazon Flex driver," according to charging documents.

Prosecutors say Sogamoso worked for Amazon for about a year.

"During that time, Sogamoso would scan a package, which identified it as delivered, take a photo of an object in place of the package, and then keep the package instead of delivering it to the customer," the charges state. "The approximate value of the stolen merchandise was more than $5,000."

Sogamoso "admitted to taking the items and returned 122 items to Amazon," according to the charges.

Salt Lake City police believe Sogamoso returned up to 200 items, valued at more than $9,500. Prosecutors say most of the items were stolen between May 10 and Aug. 10.

Court documents do not state a possible motive or what Sogamoso was allegedly planning to do with the packages.