Benjamin Ashford|FedEx driver who dumped $40,000 worth of packages before holidays order to pay $805 for theft

The Benjamin AshfordFedEx driver who threw 400 packages valued at almost $40,000 into an Alabama ravine has pleaded guilty to theft, Blount County Courthouse told USA Today.

According to the Blount County Courthouse, 24-year-old Deandre Rayshaun Charleston pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree theft of property, a misdemeanor.

Charleston was ordered by the court to pay $805 for one count of fourth-degree property theft, Blount County Courthouse confirmed.

He was originally charged with five counts of cargo theft, but four were dismissed. Charleston would have to pay $655 in court fines only for the dismissed charges, according to Blount County Courthouse.

"We are very pleased that the D.A.'s Office in Blount County considered all the evidence and, more importantly, the circumstances of Deandre's life and his personal situation," Charleston's attorney, Brett Bloomston told AL.com. "Since this incident, Deandre has proved through his actions that he was deserving of a non-custody sentence. He is a fantastic young man with a bright future."

What originally happened?

Alabama law enforcement said that Charleston, a former FedEx contract driver, confessed in December 2021 to disposing of hundreds of packages in a nearby ravine. 

Charleston, a resident of Adamsville, Alabama, has admitted to dumping packages in five separate incidents between Nov. 17 and 24, 2021. During a press conference, Sheriff Mark Moon from Blount County confirmed that Charleston cooperated with law enforcement.

Moon told reporters at the press conference that 153 packages worth approximately $15,000 were connected to victims, while 247 packages worth about $25,000 were unidentifiable or couldn't be scanned to determine a victim.

What happened to the packages?

The sheriff's office confirmed that deputies guarded packages found near Hayden in north-central Alabama; FedEx workers later picked them up.

FedEx delivered the recovered packages and resolved the damaged shipments. 

"The security of our customers' shipments is a top priority and we are committed to treating our customers' packages with the utmost care,″ FedEx said in a statement at the time.