At the crossroads where audacity meets poor judgment, we find one Antwone Tate—a Memphis-based FedEx employee who apparently decided that “special delivery” meant a personal windfall in precious gems, bullion, and collector cards. Alas, what began as a towering heist worthy of Hollywood dramatization quickly unraveled into a jaw-dropping tale of carelessness and a side hustle at a pawn shop.
It all began innocuously enough with Tate blissfully intact on FedEx’s payroll, unaware that his tinkering with packages was under the watchful gaze of the company’s Loss Prevention officers. The drama unfolded on May 27 when the Memphis Hub flagged a string of package disappearances that were too conspicuous to be dismissed as routine logistical hiccups.
As any self-respecting heist arch-villain knows, misdirection is key. However, either charm school was out that day, or Tate missed that memo entirely, as officials tracked down the purloined packages straight to a pawn shop. There, among the forlorn and the forgotten, sat an $8,500 diamond ring and nearly $14,000 worth of gold bars, all tagged with the unmistakable scent of Tate’s ambition—or perhaps more pragmatically, his driver’s license.
Spoiler alert: if you’re embarking on a criminal venture, leaving digital footprints is akin to leaving bread crumbs in a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Little did Tate realize that this particular heist’s sparkle trail sent detectives directly to their man.
But this tale doesn’t conclude with dazzling diamonds and gilded ingots. Oh no, it gets better. As detectives were tallying the inventory of not-so-disappeared packages, a third parcel became a major plot twist in a drama best titled “How to Get Caught Stealing Stuff 101.” A box brimming with baseball’s golden era nostalgia vanished into oblivion, including a Coveted 1915 Cracker Jack Chief Bender and the prized 1933 Goudey Sport Kings Ty Cobb; cards that send shivers down the spines of collectors the world over.
In true Hollywood fashion, the price tag on this escapade of nostalgia? A cool $6,800. But, as with all suspenseful stories, fate tends to frown upon those who thumb their noses at Lady Justice. When these boxed relics reemerged, it was under an eBay seller tag so clever it might as well have flashed ‘guilty’ in neon: antta_57. An account name so fissured in its subtlety that it ceased to surprise when it traced predictably back to our not-so-anonymous antagonist—Tate himself.
Detectives probably chuckled when ‘connecting the dots’ turned into an exercise more akin to ‘tracing big, red blotches.’ For Tate, the jig was up sooner than you can say “eBay ID” and soon after, came the inevitable swan song.
Making his exit from FedEx, Antwone was charged with theft of property, effectively being handed the figurative “boy, bye” from his former employers. Not just content to let the story end blandly, FedEx issued a decidedly dry statement that crooned the corporate chorus reminding everyone—and likely hinting to Tate—that pilfering from the workplace was not exactly in the job description nor a sustainable career path.
As this cautionary tale circles the watercoolers of corporate America, it serves as a vivid reminder of the folly that intertwines with larceny. Because in the great game of life, it’s worth remembering that just as you can’t outrun a bad diet, nor can you outfox a digital trail when sticky fingers dance with misadventure.
So, should your package seemingly evaporate after a routine “out for delivery” notice, consider taking an unusual route—perhaps check eBay? But let this story be your harbor: always steer clear of anything listed by antta_58 or, well, any suspicious username boasting glittery shades of karma.
