Police in Lower Swatara Township say a New York woman is on the run after nearly $45,000 in precious metals vanished from a doorstep in Middletown, turning a high-dollar online order into a full-blown felony case.
Investigators allege that 30-year-old Shorena Dzhgamaia intercepted a shipment of precious metals worth $44,807.87 that had been ordered online by a Pennsylvania resident. The theft reportedly happened in March on the 200 block of Fulling Mill Road in Middletown, Dauphin County, after the package never reached its intended recipient.
According to a public post from the Lower Swatara Township Police Department, Dzhgamaia is accused of orchestrating a package-theft scheme tied to that order and now faces multiple felony counts.
As reported by Daily Voice, police say the metals were intercepted before delivery and that Dzhgamaia is identified as a Russian national living in New York City.
Warrant And Next Steps
Lower Swatara Township police say they formally charged Dzhgamaia and obtained a felony arrest warrant on May 22. The department states that the case includes counts of theft by deception, theft of mail, identity theft, forgery and criminal use of a communication facility.
Officials say the warrant was issued through Magisterial District Judge 12-2-03, as listed on the Dauphin County Magisterial District Judge page. Police add that Dzhgamaia is currently wanted and that anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact the department.
The township’s public information lists a non-emergency phone line along with an online tip channel for those who prefer to send information electronically.
Legal Implications
Under Pennsylvania law, theft by deception is defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3922, and theft offenses involving significant dollar amounts are commonly prosecuted as felonies. Identity theft is separately criminalized under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4120, while forgery and mail-theft charges can bring additional penalties if proven in court.
Why This Matters
Cases like this sit at the intersection of online shopping and old-fashioned porch theft, a combination that has become increasingly costly for victims. Nationally, internet-enabled fraud continues to climb, with the FBI documenting record annual losses in its Internet Crime Report.
That trend highlights how a single high-value shipment, ordered with a few clicks, can quickly turn into a multi-jurisdictional investigation when it disappears in transit.
Anyone with information about Dzhgamaia’s location is asked to call the Lower Swatara Township Police Department’s non-emergency line or submit a tip through the township’s online system. Guidance for contacting investigators is available on Lower Swatara Township.
