Spring Hill police have potentially cracked a crime syndicate that uses precise delivery information to steal expensive iPhones off unsuspecting customers’ porches.
SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WKRN) — Spring Hill police have potentially cracked a crime syndicate that uses precise delivery information to steal expensive iPhones off unsuspecting customers’ porches.
According to the Spring Hill Police Department (SHPD), this crime syndicate does not follow a delivery truck around to steal packages. Rather, Lieutenant Mike Foster said that these are targeted crimes. Foster added that the criminals have inside information and know exactly where and when the products will be delivered.
That appeared to be the case on Monday morning when a porch pirate went to Rebecca Clark’s Spring Hill house and stole her husband’s brand new iPhone 16. According to Clark, the FedEx courier delivered it. A few minutes later, a thief was taking it.
“I had my husband’s iPhone delivered to our house and 20 minutes later, it got snatched off the porch,” Clark said.
The mother said that she felt victimized.
“We knew it was coming and we live in a very safe neighborhood,” Clark added. “We figured I’d go home at lunch, grab the phone, but it got taken.”
A few hours later, a major break came in the case. Spring Hill police stopped two men who spoke little English. On body camera footage, one suspect in the back of the squad car told a detective that was from New York.
According to authorities, the foreign nationals had four brand new iPhones in their rental car. One of those four was the one stolen off Clark’s porch.
“I had no idea how they knew what we were getting, what we were getting, when it was coming,” Clark said. “I had no idea.”
According to investigators, these men are a part of a crime syndicate that obtains shipping information and supplies it to field operatives like the two men arrested in Spring Hill.
“Somebody who has access to the manifest or the delivery list is giving out information,” Foster said.
According to Foster, the crime syndicate purchases flights and rental cars for their operatives to travel to predetermined locations, like Spring Hill, knowing exactly when the iPhones would be delivered.
Clark said that her husband’s iPhone retails for close to $1,500. Foster said that FedEx worked with SHPD, supplying delivery schedules and allowing detectives arrest the thieves while they were working neighborhoods.
“We want to thank FedEx for their cooperation with us,” Foster added. “They were able to provide us with information that led to the ultimate arrest of these individuals and they were hitting multiple houses. We were able to disrupt their operation.”
Police called Rebecca Clark a few hours after she reported the crime. She told News 2 that she was shocked to learn the crime was solved so quickly.
“They did a great job. They were very diligent. They went door-to-door. They did a fantastic job,” Clark said. “I was very, very impressed.”
Clark added that she hopes to get her husband’s phone back soon. In the meantime, SHPD added that this investigation is large, involving police agencies in Franklin and Murfreesboro.
We reached out to FedEx for a statement. They told us, in part:
“The security of our customers’ shipments is our top priority. We regularly work with law enforcement on security matters, and we encourage any customer who believes a shipment has been stolen to immediately contact police.”
Here are some tips to best protect yourself from being a victim:
Track your package using a tracking number and try and be home when the item is delivered
Request a signature. That ensures the package will not be left at your door without you there
Deliver to an alternate location, like your work
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