Hundreds Of Packages Stolen By Amazon Contractor Found By Police

GRESHAM, OR — A delivery service employee, contracted to deliver Amazon packages throughout the metro region, was arrested Thursday after Portland police discovered hundreds of undelivered, allegedly stolen packages at his Gresham home. The packages were altogether worth more than $16,500, authorities said.

Heriberto Villarino Zamora, 33, was taken to the Multnomah County Jail for felony aggravated theft. His bail is set at $500,000.

The Bureau's Burglary Task Force began investigating multiple thefts from area retailers Dec. 6, police spokesman Sgt. Christopher Burley said.

Using the website OfferUp, a nationwide Craigslist-meets-Instagram buy/sell/trade platform, detectives identified suspects and began recovering items — reportedly locating $15,000 worth of stolen property over the operation's first two days.

During the same investigation, detectives identified Villarino Zamora as a suspect — believing he possessed multiple packages they hadn't found yet.

After obtaining a warrant to search Villarino Zamora's Gresham home, burglary detectives and the Bureau's Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) recovered hundreds of packages and nearly $5,000 in cash Dec. 21.

In an email to Patch, Amazon provided the following statement:

"This does not reflect the high standards we have for delivery service providers. We will continue to work with law enforcement as they investigate."

Image via Portland Police Bureau