David X. Sullivan, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, has announced that Terrell Kimble, a 45-year-old resident of Hartford, has pleaded guilty to charges related to defrauding Amazon. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford.
Court documents and statements indicate that Kimble, who worked as a Regional Fleet Specialist and Area Manager for Amazon in Connecticut, exploited an employee reward program called Peak. This program was managed through a procurement portal named Coupa, which allowed certain employees to reward others for exceptional performance by ordering items from Amazon at no cost.
Between July 2021 and December 2022, Kimble placed at least 196 fraudulent orders through Coupa under the pretense of rewarding employee performance. However, these products were delivered to his mother's residence for personal use. The items included high-end electronics such as Apple iPad Pro devices, Apple AirPods Pro, Apple Watch devices, and Nintendo Switches.
Kimble was arrested on August 15, 2024. He has pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges that carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Currently released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing, no date has been set for this proceeding.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force with assistance from local police departments in Windsor, West Hartford, and Hartford. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller is prosecuting the case.
