What Delaware State Police say happened
Delaware State Police say two people arrived at a business in the 1100 block of River Road in New Castle at about 9:15 a.m. on September 14 in a tractor cab. According to the agency, they identified themselves as FedEx employees and presented driver's licenses and shipping documents for a trailer containing more than $680,000 in electronics.
The pair connected the trailer and left. The business later determined that the shipping documents were fraudulent, located the equipment at University Plaza in Newark and called 911. State police say the trailer was recovered and returned with all cargo still inside.
Arrest, charges and open questions
Troopers arrested Dushatdaman Parihar, 35, of Manteca, California. State police say the driver's licenses shown at the warehouse and the registration plate displayed on the tractor-trailer were fraudulent.
Parihar was charged with theft involving property valued at $100,000 or more, first- and second-degree forgery, second-degree conspiracy and using a fictitious registration plate. The charges are allegations, not a conviction. The state police release describes another participant but does not identify that person or report a second arrest, and the investigation remains open.
What it means for drivers and shipping teams
The case shows why possession of paperwork alone should not complete a high-value cargo release. Carriers, brokers and warehouses can verify the assigned driver and tractor through a known dispatch contact, compare identifying information with the load tender and carrier record, and stop the handoff when credentials, equipment or pickup instructions do not match.
Professional drivers may also face extra identity checks at secure facilities. Those checks should use established company procedures and protect personal information; this incident does not establish that a legitimate FedEx driver or vehicle was involved.
Primary sources and supporting records
- Delaware State Police: State Police Arrest California Man After Stealing $680,000 Cargo Shipment from New Castle WarehousePrimary law-enforcement record for the pickup, recovery, arrest, filed charges and continuing investigation • Published 2026-09-16 • Checked September 20, 2026 at 5:06 PM
- FreightWaves: Fake FedEx drivers steal $680K electronics load from New Castle, DE, warehouseReputable trucking-industry discovery and independent carrier-context report • Published 2026-09-19 • Checked September 20, 2026 at 5:06 PM
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