Ever wonder what happened to the gun you lost through UPS?

[Sportcat]

http://www.wyff4.com/news/5357556/detail.html

Four Plead Guilty In Gun Theft Operation
Easley Man Was Ringleader Of Group

POSTED: 3:45 pm EST November 18, 2005
UPDATED: 4:07 pm EST November 18, 2005

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COLUMBIA -- Federal prosecutors said one of the largest gun theft and trafficking rings in South Carolina history came to an end Friday with four guilty pleas.

William Shane Ninan, 26, of Easley, Julius Rozell Barnes, 27, of Columbia, Gary Matthew Martin, 25, of Gaffney, and Sterling Serrone Leeper, 26, of Columbia, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell handguns stolen from their place of employment, the United Parcel Service hub facility in West Columbia.

U.S. Attorney Johnny Gasser said Ninan recruited his three co-defendants to participate in the scheme to steal firearms from UPS and illegally sell them to others.

Gasser said the evidence showed that the four began to steal firearms in April 1999. Each of the men were employed with UPS during 1999 and 2000.

Gasser said the four diverted numerous packages being sent by firearms manufacturers and wholesalers through the UPS facility, then sold the guns across the nation. Some of the guns were recovered in California, he said.

Gasser said Ninan admitted that the group stole more than 200 handguns during their time at UPS.

The four will be sentenced at a later date.

 

[nvrquit]

What's the Bet....

... that UPS will ever admit that their security was lax, their "fix" for such problems was bull???? and that they'll take all the proper corrective measures to eliminate(as far as possible) a repeat of such occurrences in the future. After all of this, UPS will rescind the measures that have been foisted upon an industry that was NOT responsible for the botched security in the first place....


FAT CHANCE!

 

[UberPhLuBB]

What if they pull a "See? This is what happens when we ship handguns--no more!" move?

Then we're stuck paying small couriers gobs and gobs of money because nobody else will do it.

It's a shame how a couple of bad eggs result in the whole dozen getting tossed.

 

[Cortland]

This kind of stuff scares the living bejeezus out of me. I recently had a FA Uzi sent to my dealer UPS *Ground*. I didn't know it was being sent Ground, but sure enough -- Vector Arms says they have a special arrangement with UPS to send MGs ground (suuure). I was checking their tracking service every five minutes ...

I can understand UPS's situation though -- it'd be exceedingly difficult for them to do the kind of background checks on all of their employees that need to be done, but clearly firearms shipments require greaty security and that won't come cheap.

 

[Scottmkiv]

I don't see why firearms need greater security, UPS ships plenty of other things o equivalent value. UPS just needs to work harder at making it impossible to tell what is inside any given box without physically opening it.

 

[afasano]

What if they pull a "See? This is what happens when we ship handguns--no more!" move?

Then we're stuck paying small couriers gobs and gobs of money because nobody else will do it.

It's a shame how a couple of bad eggs result in the whole dozen getting tossed.

When big brown ships your guns, sometimes we steal them.

 

[c_yeager]

Vector Arms says they have a special arrangement with UPS to send MGs ground (suuure).

UPS has different levels of security for special corporate clients. For example, DeBeers sends little brown boxes containing several pounds of bulk diamonds through UPS, I assure you those boxes are handled differently than a handgun shipped by a regular citizen.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Every time I've bought a firearm and the dealer has shipped it UPS, I've had major sphincter tightening until it arrived - fortunately I've never had one go "missing" but it sure is no fun- with the mass of shipping UPS does I wonder what the figures really are for "lost" packages of any kind-

 

[misANTHrope]

... that UPS will ever admit that their security was lax, they're "fix" for such problems was bull???? and that they'll take all the proper corrective measures to eliminate(as far as possible) a repeat of such occurrences in the future. After all of this, UPS will rescind the measures that have been foisted upon an industry that was NOT responsible for the botched security in the first place....


FAT CHANCE!

Back when I used to load trucks for 'em, we had to pass through a security check entering and leaving the hub. Show your ID on the way in, and go through a metal detector on the way out. I'm not sure how you'd get anything substantial out of there, but apparently there were some minds more creative than mine. I heard that there was a group of guys stealing computers once.

 

[jsalcedo]

This is what my wife does for a living.

She just busted up a gun theft ring at a package center near Mcallen Texas.

Its is a widespread problem with all package carriers.

The crooks begin to identify packages by shipper and destination and either overlabel with an empty house address or smash the box open and smuggle the items out.

Jewelry, DVDs guns, laptops, drugs etc...

It's a sad state of affairs and they are spending many millions each year to improve security..remote cameras..$5000 rewards to turn in employees that steal, sting operations etc..

Once a pattern of theft develops that cannot be attributed to accident the security folks "salt the sort" With tempting packages filled with indelible bright purple dye.

UPS strives to hire honest employees with expensive backround checks at the time of hiring.

The job of package sorter is $9 per hour Teamsters union full benefits part time.
It is very demanding physical labor that attracts young minorites and college students usually under 25 years old

It is a sad state of affairs but these kids are tempted by the millions of dollars worth of merchandise that passes through their hands each day.

UPS works with law enforcement to catch and prosecute thieves. Many times
packages are recovered the thief goes to jail along with any co-conspirators
and of course they are fired.

To counter a popular myth... UPS drivers rarely steal.

They are professionals that make a great deal of money with lots of perks and benefits and they can retire rich. They have to work their way up from the bottom so the dishonest ones are weeded out fast.

It is a constant battle to keep the thieves in check.

 

[jsalcedo]

UPS has different levels of security for special corporate clients. For example, DeBeers sends little brown boxes containing several pounds of bulk diamonds through UPS, I assure you those boxes are handled differently than a handgun shipped by a regular citizen.

They are escorted to and from the planes by security firms and locked in cages when not in transit. UPS often hires off duty cops to handle these "high risk packages"

 

[waterhouse]

I have all of my packages shipped to my name instead of the name of the business in hopes of avoiding this kind of thing.

I also only ship USPS, because I'd hope someone would have to be dumber to steal from them.

 

[DMK]

I have all of my packages shipped to my name instead of the name of the business in hopes of avoiding this kind of thing.

I do the same thing when shipping to a gun store or gunsmith. I ship to the name of the person on the FFL, not the name of the business. Try to make your package look as generic as possible and hopefully any potential thieves won't even notice it in the mass of brown boxes.

 

[Pilgrim]

I bought a couple of hard rifle cases from Sportsmans Guide. One disappeared in a sorting facility in Sacramento. The note on the tracking page said, "Bar code illegible, new code/label applied." There was no reference to the new bar code/label.

The cases were heavy, so I assume some sorter in Sacramento assumed there was a rifle in the long slender carton.

Pilgrim

 

[landon74]

I work at a UPS facility, sorting packages and loading trucks. I walk through a metal detector as I enter the facility, and get wanded after I walk through a metal detector when I exit. I often have to pull up my shirt, pull up my pants legs to show I'm not carrying anything off.

People who are stealing packages (guns, pills, whatever) would have to have some help from security in my estimation. (not that I'm a criminal mastermind or anything).

 

[thatguy]

UPS admitted years ago that it was internal theft causing them to require overnight air for handguns. We have to pay extra because some of their employees are theives and UPS can't stop them.

When I mail long guns I disassemble them to make shorter boxes work and I label the return address: John's Custom Curtain Rods. Never had one swiped.

 

[jsalcedo]

People who are stealing packages (guns, pills, whatever) would have to have some help from security in my estimation. (not that I'm a criminal mastermind or anything).

Sometimes they throw them over the fence,

Overlabling as I had mentioned (putting a new false address on the package)

Some smaller facilities do not have the metal detectors.

 

[rick_reno]

can understand UPS's situation though -- it'd be exceedingly difficult for them to do the kind of background checks on all of their employees that need to be done, but clearly firearms shipments require greaty security and that won't come cheap.

Background checks probably wouldn't have done much good - these are crimes of opportunity. When the opportunity presents itself, the crime happens.

 

[carp killer]

I seriously have doubts about the background checks for a $9 per hour worker. UPS has probably done a cost benefit study on the cost of a through background check vs. higher insurance claims. Sadly, the PRICELESS family hierloom gun will end up in some crack house in the inner city. I've lost a package at UPS and all I got was a shrug from the clerk and a claim form. Lucky for me, it wasn't a gun. I lost all mine in a boating accident.

Be very careful and cross your fingers with UPS.

 

[afasano]

It would help if gun companies had an address without the name Smith and Wesson or Ruger on it for repair service.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Federal Express seems to "lose" fewer packages.

 

[jsalcedo]

Federal Express seems to "lose" fewer packages.

UPS handles about 15 million packages per day.

Fedex does about 20% of that

It would seem they lose fewer

 

[oct_97]

I have had FFL's tell me to ship to them via FEDEX as they have had a gun lost using them.

 

[Tim L]

It would help if gun companies had an address without the name Smith and Wesson or Ruger on it for repair service.

They might, check with them and see. I know Kimber uses something like KBH manufacturing.


Tim

 

[afasano]

They might, check with them and see. I know Kimber uses something like KBH manufacturing.


Tim

When I sent my DW in for repair in 1999, they used NYI corp.