Harley Davidson merchandise thief sentenced in Federal Court

Harley Davidson merchandise thief sentenced in Federal Court

Topics: Harley-Davidson

Harley Davidson merchandise thief sentenced in Federal Court

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Indiana
6 July 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Warehouse worker stole over $350,000 in motorcycle parts and apparel

Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today the sentencing of a Winchester man convicted of Theft of Interstate Shipments. Douglas Castle, 37, was sentenced to one year and a day of incarceration by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker.

Castle stole and diverted shipments from his then-employer, a logistics and warehousing company in Greenwood that handled warehousing and logistics for Harley-Davidson. Castle started out small, pilfering Harley-Davidson brand jewelry, clothing, and other merchandise by concealing the items in baggy pants on his way out of the warehouse.

But over time, Castle’s scheme grew in scope and sophistication. Eventually, he began diverting whole shipments of motorcycle parts that retailed for roughly $450 apiece. Castle used his position at the warehouse to create fraudulent shipping labels and affix them to packages of motorcycle parts, which caused the shipping company to deliver the packages to Castle’s home instead of to Harley-Davidson retail stores. Each package contained dozens of expensive parts. Then, pretending to be an official online retailer of Harley-Davidson products, Castle sold the stolen items to unwitting buyers on eBay.

Castle perpetrated his scheme for over a year and a half until he was caught and fired by the warehouse company. Once caught, Castle cooperated with the government’s investigation, which was led by the FBI. In total, Castle diverted, stole, and sold approximately $353,000 worth of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts and apparel.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Nick Linder, who prosecuted this case for the government, Castle must pay approximately $353,000 in restitution and serve one year of supervised release following completion of incarceration.