Men steal $100,000 of Dr Pepper in scheme with gas station owner, Oklahoma cops say
Three Oklahoma men are facing charges in a months-long scheme that saw more than $100,000 worth of Dr Pepper syrup stolen from an Oklahoma City warehouse, news outlets report.
The manager of a Keurig Dr Pepper warehouse first noticed merchandise vanishing from the facility in May, and though he reported this to police, the mysterious thefts continued for months before the culprits were caught, according to court documents, KWTV reported.
The main target was pallets of Dr Pepper syrup, the outlet reported. Court documents say each pallet was loaded with 40 boxes of syrup valued at $98 a piece, or nearly $4,000 per pallet.
Eventually, the manager took matters into his own hands and started hiding GPS trackers on the pallets, according to documents obtained by KFOR. When the pallets went missing, investigators said the GPS showed where they went — a gas station on the city’s west side.
Three men were arrested, including two former warehouse employees and the owner of the gas station where the stolen syrup was being delivered, the Oklahoman reported.
Officials say a warehouse security guard called 911 on the night of Oct. 19, after they spotted the former employee climbing a fence, and officers confronted him, the Oklahoman reported.
He later told investigators that he began stealing the pallets while working at the warehouse, but continued taking several every few weeks after he quit and selling the syrup to the gas station owner at $50 a box, according to KFOR.
Charges were filed on Nov. 30, court records show.
One of the former employees is facing charges including burglary, embezzlement and possessing or concealing stolen property, records show. The other employee is charged with conspiracy to commit a felony.
The gas station owner is accused of possessing or concealing stolen property, the Oklahoman reported.
This story was originally published December 6, 2023 at 10:52 AM with the headline "Men steal $100,000 of Dr Pepper in scheme with gas station owner, Oklahoma cops say."