Two UPS Workers Arrested in Miami-Dade for $100K Electronics Theft Scheme

Authorities in Miami-Dade County arrested two UPS workers Thursday who are accused of orchestrating a scheme to steal electronics from packages and redirect them using fraudulent shipping labels. Jose Divine Fernandes Correeia, 52, of Pembroke Pines, and Ruth Cristaldo, 53, were taken into custody at the UPS distribution facility located at 13350 NW 17th Street in Doral while working the night shift.

Each suspect faces one count of organized fraud involving $50,000 or more and second-degree grand theft between $20,000 and $100,000, according to jail records. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Organized Retail Crimes Squad made the arrests following an investigation that began when UPS security reported missing electronics including Apple and Samsung phones, tablets and laptops.

Cristaldo worked as an Overgoods clerk while Fernandes Correeia served as a package handler on the night reload shift. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed Fernandes Correeia selecting packages containing electronics, removing original shipping labels and removing items from boxes. Cristaldo then allegedly repackaged the stolen goods into new boxes and generated fraudulent UPS shipping labels using her credentials.

Investigators discovered one intercepted package bound for an Amazon-related business containing 40 Apple iPhones models 16 and 17, plus two Samsung Galaxy phones valued at approximately $45,000. A second package addressed to Barnes & Noble held 10 Apple MacBook laptops and three Bose headphones worth about $10,000 and had already been delivered before authorities intervened.

Internal records showed Cristaldo generated more than 198 fraudulent UPS shipping labels using her Overgoods login credentials since April 2025, with packages sent to two addresses on Northwest 33rd Street in Miami under various company names including Barnes & Noble, Amazon, JC Electronics and JC Auto Parts. UPS security also located at least 10 additional unlabeled packages in the Overgoods area that had not yet been shipped.

UPS security estimates total losses from the alleged ongoing scheme exceed $100,000. Both suspects were being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Friday afternoon with bonds pending determination.