Twin Cities Shipt Driver Stole Over $16K In Target Packages: Police

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Shipt delivery driver is accused of stealing more than $16,000 in Target merchandise he was supposed to deliver across the Twin Cities metro area.

Khang Huu Hoang, 25, of Minneapolis, has been charged with theft by swindle, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

On Aug. 18, police responded to reports of suspected package theft involving a delivery driver in Minneapolis.

Investigators learned that Hoang was working as a Shipt driver and had been linked to several incidents in which packages marked as delivered were never received by customers.

He operated out of the Target distribution facility on the 2700 block of Winter Street NE in Minneapolis.

In one case, a Target employee bought a vacuum cleaner that was marked as delivered but never arrived. Surveillance footage showed Hoang delivering the vacuum, taking a photo to confirm the delivery, and then taking it back with him, according to the criminal complaint.

Target was later notified by staff at an apartment building on the 90 block of South 9th Street in Minneapolis about a large number of empty Target boxes in the trash, addressed to multiple Twin Cities addresses.

Target determined Hoang was the delivery driver for each missing package, police said.

The total value of the missing items was at least $5,337, and Hoang was responsible for about $16,541 in merchandise reported missing after being marked as delivered, according to authorities.

Building management confirmed Hoang lived in the apartment complex, matching his driver’s license records. Surveillance footage showed him using the same vehicle he drove for Shipt and carrying Target packages into the building elevator, the criminal complaint states.

Between July 25 and Sept. 17, Hoang was seen carrying or discarding Target packages at least 27 times, including Shark and Dyson vacuums, a standing fan, Roku TVs, and a 50-inch Samsung Smart TV, according to police.

On Oct. 2, police executed search warrants on Hoang’s vehicle and apartment, recovering about $6,176.96 in stolen merchandise, authorities said.

The recovered items matched those seen in surveillance videos and had delivery dates between July 20 and Sept. 17, the criminal complaint states.