NEED TO KNOW

• A 20-year-old UPS cargo worker in Phoenix stole a package containing a $160,000 diamond from a Brink’s shipment and traded it for $20 worth of marijuana
• The diamond was recovered and returned to the owner, but the case raised questions about how six-figure valuables move through standard delivery networks
• Package theft costs Americans an estimated $16 billion annually, with insider access remaining one of the hardest vulnerabilities to address

PHOENIX, AZ (TDR) — Walter Earl Morrison thought he was stealing cash. Instead, the 20-year-old UPS ramp agent at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport walked off with something far more valuable — and far harder to unload.

Morrison was working a routine shift unloading a UPS cargo plane in September 2014 when he stuffed a package under his shirt. According to court documents, Morrison targeted the parcel because it was shipped by Brink’s, the global security and logistics firm, and he assumed it contained money. He ducked into a UPS restroom, tore open the box and found a single diamond valued at $160,000.

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

What happened next became one of the most talked-about theft cases in recent memory. Unable to identify the stone’s worth or find a buyer, Morrison called a friend and traded the diamond for one gram of marijuana — roughly $20 worth, the equivalent of two joints.

“Walter admitted he made a mistake.” — Court records from police interrogation

How a Six-Figure Diamond Ended Up on the Street

The absurdity of the trade obscured a more serious problem. A diamond worth more than a Maserati had been shipped through a standard commercial cargo network, handled by entry-level workers, and removed from the system with nothing more sophisticated than a shirt.

Morrison was arrested Sept. 16, 2014, after police traced the theft back to him. During questioning, he confessed to swiping the package and trading away the stone. A Maricopa County grand jury indicted him on felony theft charges. UPS fired him immediately.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

The diamond was recovered and delivered to its intended customer, a UPS spokesperson confirmed. But the case exposed a gap that security experts say persists across the shipping industry: high-value items sometimes travel through the same networks as everyday packages, protected more by policy than by physical barriers.

“Any single stone over $100,000 is an expensive stone.” — Brent Taubman, owner of House of Diamonds

The Insider Threat Problem

Morrison’s theft was not a sophisticated operation. He was a ramp agent — one of thousands of entry-level cargo workers who load and unload aircraft daily at major airports. His access to the shipment was routine. His method was to grab a box and hide it in his clothing.

Brink’s offers dedicated secure logistics for diamonds and jewelry, including armored vehicles, supervised transit and all-risk insurance coverage. But the Morrison case raised questions about what happens when high-value shipments move through third-party carrier networks where Brink’s direct oversight ends and standard handling procedures take over.

The broader numbers reinforce the scale of the problem. An estimated 120 million packages are stolen annually in the United States, costing consumers and businesses roughly $16 billion in 2023 alone. While most theft occurs at the point of delivery — the “porch pirate” problem — insider theft within the shipping network remains one of the hardest vulnerabilities to detect and prevent.

A 2025 Suffolk County investigation revealed how a criminal ring used insider FedEx tracking information — including recipient names, addresses and device types — to systematically target high-value electronics packages. Prosecutors filed 50 felony charges and recovered more than 200 stolen phones and over $100,000 in cash from a stash house.

What the Industry Says vs. What Actually Happens

Companies like Brink’s market themselves as end-to-end solutions for high-value logistics, with armored transport, real-time tracking and supervised delivery at every step. UPS and FedEx offer insurance options and declared value coverage for high-value shipments.

But security protocols only work when every link in the chain follows them. Morrison’s case demonstrated what happens when a $160,000 stone moves through a standard cargo operation where a 20-year-old with no security clearance can intercept it in a restroom. The disconnect between industry promises and ground-level reality is where the vulnerability lives.

Morrison, who reportedly lived with his grandmother at the time, faced felony theft charges in Maricopa County Superior Court. He was 20 years old, earning a fraction of the diamond’s value per year, and his highest-stakes decision was whether to trade the stone for weed or try to sell it on the black market. He chose the weed.

The diamond was returned. Morrison lost his job and faced prosecution. But the underlying question remains: if a ramp agent can walk off with a six-figure gemstone by tucking it under his shirt, what does that say about the security architecture protecting billions of dollars in high-value cargo that moves through commercial networks every day?

When high-value shipments travel through standard carrier networks, are companies selling security — or selling the appearance of security — and should consumers shipping irreplaceable items trust any system that depends on the honesty of every person who touches the package?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from ABC News, The Smoking Gun, ABC7 Chicago, Fox 13, Brink’s Global Services, Capital One Shopping research, the Suffolk County porch pirate investigation via ABC News, and Security.org package theft data.

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10