A man from Charlotte, North Carolina, has pleaded guilty to mail fraud after stealing and reselling goods from an Amazon warehouse. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that Douglas Wright, Jr., 27 stole merchandise worth more than $273,000. From June 2020 to September 2021, Wright, Jr., who worked as Amazon warehouse manager, allegedly committed the scheme.
He used his access to get computer parts such as internal hard drives and processors. Wright admitted in court that he shipped the products to his residence. He then sold them to a computer wholesaler in California.
Wright pleaded guilty to mail fraud with a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine amounting to $250,000. But according to the DOJ, there’s no sentence date yet.
The Wall Street Journal disclosed that Amazon is expected to show a quarterly revenue record of $137.73 billion. Said data was based on its fourth-quarter earnings release on February 3.
The FBI and USPIS (United States Postal Inspection Service) investigated the case. On the other hand, Assistant Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is the case’s prosecutor.
Ongoing criticisms against Amazon
Aside from the case of the Amazon warehouse manager, the multinational tech company also has other legal battles.
Amazon has been facing criticisms for its treatment of warehouse employees during the pandemic. The eCommerce platform has been under scrutiny after six people died when a tornado struck its warehouses in December 2021.
Due to failed COVID protections in its fulfillment centers, the company is under investigation, as incited by New York Attorney General Letitia James. James is now requesting a court order. It’s to require the company to assign an employee to oversee health and safety protocols at its warehouse on Staten Island. He also asked Amazon to reinstate fired worker Christian Smalls who led public protests against the company last year.
James said Amazon had rolled back many of its health and safety protocols at the warehouse, known as JFK8. The Staten Island warehouse, which employs an estimated 5,000 people, has been the site of an ongoing clash between Amazon and its employees.
Criticisms from Government Officials
Some Democratic policymakers urge Amazon to respond. It comes after six people were killed in a tornado at one of its fulfillment centers in Illinois. The group was led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Reps. Cori Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
A letter addressed to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and founder Jeff Bezos says the tragedy on December 10 at the Edwardsville facility is alarming. They noted that Amazon puts worker safety in danger, both in everyday situations and during emergencies.
Another letter, signed by Sens. Marco Rubio and Sherrod Brown, was to labor secretary Martin Walsh. They were asking the secretary to use the powers of his department to ensure that the firm is treating its workers fairly. The Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) has already started an investigation of the case.
“Amazon’s size and scope require specific evaluation by federal regulators when widespread and credible charges of labor and employment law violations appear,” the letter states.
“Recently, Amazon has encountered several allegations of unfair labor practices, and recurring worker protests reflect a persistent frustration with the company leadership.”
The tornado mentioned above was part of extreme weather centered in western Kentucky on December 10, 2021, leaving at least 58 dead. The damage included Amazon’s warehouse in Edwardsville.
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