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A former Alabama FedEx driver who dumped $40,000 worth of customers’ packages on the road will have to pay a fraction of the cost as a fine.
The incident happened between Nov. 17 and Nov. 24, 2021. A then-22-year-old Adamsville resident named Deandre Rayshaun Charleston told sheriff’s office investigators he didn’t want to deliver the packages, per AL.com.
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Charleston pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge — one count of fourth-degree theft of property, USA Today reported, citing the Blount County Courthouse, and AL.com, which cited court records.
USA Today added that the former FedEx worker had previously been charged with five counts of cargo theft, but four were dismissed.
The court ordered Charleston to pay a fine of $805 for one count of fourth-degree property theft, the Blount County Courthouse told USA Today.
"We are very pleased that the D.A.'s Office in Blount County considered all the evidence and, more importantly, the circumstances of Deandre's life and his personal situation," Charleston's attorney, Brett Bloomston said in a statement to AL.com. "Since this incident, Deandre has proved through his actions that he was deserving of a non-custody sentence. He is a fantastic young man with a bright future."
PEOPLE reached out to Bloomston for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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During a December 2021 press conference, Sheriff Mark Moon of Blount County said that Charleston was cooperating with law enforcement officials during the investigation, AL.com reported at the time.
He also added that more than 150 packages worth approximately $15,000 were able to be traced back to victims. However, 247 packages worth about $25,000 were not able to be scanned and given to their rightful owners.
PEOPLE reached out to the Blount County Sheriff’s Office but did not immediately hear back.
When the dumped packages were discovered near Hayden, about 30 miles north of Birmingham, officers guarded the site until more FedEx workers could retrieve the items and complete the deliveries.
"The security of our customers' shipments is a top priority and we are committed to treating our customers' packages with the utmost care,″ FedEx said in a statement in 2021.
When asked why Charleston committed the crime, Moon previously said he believed the 22-year-old was going through “hard times.”
"It appears that he was very sorrowful for what he had done and just admitted that he was having some hard times in his life and made poor choices," the sheriff said in December 2021. "Hopefully, this will be one of those very hard life lessons that he will learn from and be able to move forward in his life. That's what we really want."
Moon added that Charleston had told authorities that he was distraught over a death in his family and “other issues.”
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