Ocala UPS worker accused of stealing valuables from undelivered packages, selling them on Facebook

An employee at a UPS facility in Ocala was arrested Wednesday after police say he was caught stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise and selling it on his wife’s Facebook page.

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Ocala police officers responded to the United Parcel Service Customer Center on SW 28th Ave. Wednesday and met with a Loss Prevention Manager who said he was already conducting an investigation into items that had been taken from undelivered packages.

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The manager told police he already learned that an employee, 33-year-old Jose Flores Franco, had been using his wife’s Facebook page to sell items he had stolen.

Police say the manager even provided them with copies of screenshots of Facebook Market posts showing items that appeared to be identical to the ones that were reported lost or stolen, including multiple iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, and packages of Pandora jewelry.

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In all, the value of the stolen items was estimated to be just under $12,000.

Police say they went to Flores Franco’s home to recover the stolen items and found a box full of electronic devices, all in their original packaging. They also found a second box that contained multiple bags of jewelry.

All the stolen items were collected and placed into evidence.

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Flores Franco was arrested and charged with grand theft of more than $10,000 and dealing in stolen property.

He’s since been released from jail on a total of $7,000 bond.

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