What started as a few suspicious delivery notifications has turned into criminal charges for a 24-year-old Raeford man who deputies say was supposed to be dropping off FedEx packages, not making them disappear.
Investigators in Richmond County say the driver turned himself in on last Thursday after a multi-year probe into packages that were marked as delivered but never showed up. According to deputies, delivery logs and surveillance footage were key to connecting the missing items to a FedEx vehicle assigned to the same route.
WSOC-TV reports that Tyrone Davarius Hawkins, 24, is charged with larceny of a firearm, obtaining property by false pretense, uttering forged instruments and misdemeanor larceny. The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Financial Crimes Unit launched its investigation after victims complained that tracking updates showed packages as delivered, complete with signatures, even though nothing ever arrived at their doors.
Video, Tracking Logs Put FedEx Truck at Phantom Drop-Offs
According to Queen City News, one key incident happened on Sept. 10, 2024. Investigators say Hawkins was behind the wheel of a FedEx truck when it pulled up to a home around 11:58 a.m. The twist, they say, is that he never got out. Still, the homeowner later received a notification that the package had been delivered and signed for, even though no one was home.
Another case under the microscope involved a firearm scheduled for delivery to a pawn shop on Oct. 1, 2024. Surveillance video reviewed by investigators allegedly shows a FedEx vehicle stopping beside the business at 12:05 p.m., with a delivery notification logged at 12:06 p.m. Staff at the shop told deputies that no package ever made it inside.
Warrants, Surrender and What Comes Next in Court
The Financial Crimes Unit secured arrest warrants in 2025, and Hawkins turned himself in on March 5, according to WSOC-TV. He was booked into the Richmond County Jail, then released on an unsecured $25,000 bond. Court records list his next appearance for March 26.
What It Means For Customers Waiting On The Porch
Investigators say this case is part of a wider pattern they are seeing, where delivery drivers and subcontractors are suspected in missing-package complaints. As WSB-TV reported, deputies in neighboring Georgia uncovered schemes in which drivers marked packages as delivered without ever stepping out of their vehicles.
For customers, that means a little extra vigilance might go a long way. Options include requiring signatures on delivery, requesting that items be held for pickup at a FedEx location, or relying on doorbell cameras and saved tracking screenshots. Those details, investigators say, can become crucial evidence when a package that “arrived” never actually makes it to the front porch.
