Amazon made headlines in April 2020 when it announced it would be opening a new fulfillment center in Appling creating 800 new jobs in Columbia County.
More recently, however, the facility has made its way back into the spotlight for the level of crime associated with the warehouse.
A little more than a year since the facility opened, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office deputies have been called to the Appling location 24 times.
Incidents include assault, disorderly conduct or fighting, tampering with vehicles, suspicious persons, one drug related call, a handful of domestic episodes and nine occasions of theft from both individuals as well as from Amazon itself.
On Oct. 11, Nathaniel Jones Jr., 33, and Malik Stone, 21, were arrested after admitting to stealing a combined total of approximately $22,013 in Amazon merchandise, according to previous reports in The Augusta Press.
A second incident occurred two days later involving three Amazon employees. Jordan Beale, 20, of Hephzibah was arrested in a shooting.
Ronnus Rand, 31, of Augusta, and Kadijah Robinson, 25, also of Augusta, were walking together in the parking lot while on break, Morris said. The two share a child together but are no longer in a relationship, according to an Oct. 13 article in The Augusta Press.
Beale, who is currently dating Robinson, confronted Rand and the argument soon turned physical, according to Morris’ email. Beale then went to his vehicle and returned with a firearm, Morris said.
Beale is being charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime
In November 2021, Amazon reported to authorities that one of its contracted drivers had taken over $20,000 in unauthorized products during the course of approximately two and a half weeks.
Since then, another driver was accused of stealing 84 packages with a total estimated value of $3,423, and two more employees were arrested for the theft of more than $3,700 in merchandise.
Thefts like these are not uncommon. There have been similar incidents nationwide, according to various news sources. Amazon officials consider these types of occurrences the cost of doing business.
“Like most major retailers, we have loss prevention professionals on site to identify concerns and coordinate closely with local law enforcement agencies as needed,” according to Amazon spokesman Branden Baribeau.
Other incidents include an Amazon employee near Atlanta who was arrested in July for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 in merchandise from warehouses in Newnan, Georgia as well as Alabama and Mississippi.
In January, former operations manager of Amazon’s Charlotte, North Carolina warehouse, Douglas Wright Jr. 27, pleaded guilty in federal court after stealing more than $273,000 in Amazon merchandise.
2021 was no different with $50,000 worth of merchandise stolen from a fulfillment center in Connecticut, another $19,000 in California and $270,000 in stolen goods out of Florida.
With the holiday season looming, Amazon has plans for the safety of its merchandise.
“We’ve increased security at our Appling facility and will have local law enforcement onsite through the holiday season,” according to Amazon.
Anna Virella is the newsroom coordinator with The Augusta Press. Reach her at anna@theaugustapress.com.
