Thief Allegedly Stole Amazon Christmas Packages Worth A Truck Before It Reached USPS

Oklahoma officials are investigating and looking into those responsible for stealing nearly 600 Amazon packages that were supposed to be delivered by Christmas Day.

"Hundreds of people didn't get their Christmas gifts," Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office spokesman Aaron Brilbeck told Fox News, Monday. "This is porch piracy on steroids."

According to Brilbeck, a tipster called in to report "illegal dumping" in a wooded area on New Year's Eve. When the deputies arrived, they discovered the heist of almost 600 undelivered Amazon packages that had shipped out of the distribution center but never reached the Postal Service.

Nearly 600 Amazon packages were found dumped in Oklahoma by an unknown person. The packages were found in a rural area of Oklahoma County, about 30 miles northeast of downtown Oklahoma City. The deputies with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office released a statement Monday, saying that someone removed items they wanted from the packages and discarded the rest.

"The vast majority of them have been opened. Some had not… The ones that weren't open all contain books, and it appears the person is not very well-read." A lot of books that were being delivered were dumped behind. Videos were also shared by investigators displaying the Amazon boxes and envelopes stacked up in the county's crime lab.

Many of the packages were in envelopes. The rest of the packages had been ransacked. The items were part of a shipment from a local Amazon facility that was meant to go to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for delivery to hundreds of holiday customers this Christmas and New Year season. However, they didn't make it to the recipients.

According to authorities, investigators were going through the remaining items parcel-by-parcel with help from both Amazon and the Postal Service. Package thefts have targeted Amazon customers for years now, especially around the gift-giving season but hijacking an entire truckload is a new one.

For those customers who are missing items, the sheriff's office encouraged them to not contact their office. "We are working with the USPS and have reached out to Amazon, so someone should contact you soon."