Hartford Man Admits Defrauding Amazon

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TERRELL KIMBLE, 45, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to an offense stemming from a scheme to defraud Amazon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Kimble was employed by Amazon as a Regional Fleet Specialist and an Area Manager, based in Connecticut.  Amazon operated an employee reward program called Peak, administered through a procurement portal called Coupa.  Coupa allowed certain employees, including Area Managers, to reward other employees on their work team for superior performance by ordering an item from Amazon for the employee at no cost.  Between approximately July 2021 and December 2022, Kimble placed at least 196 Coupa orders fraudulently representing that they were to reward employee performance, but had the products, mainly high-end electronic goods, delivered to his mother’s residence for his own use.  The electronic items included Apple iPad Pro, Apple AirPods Pro, and Apple Watch devices, and Nintendo Switches.

Kimble was arrested on August 15, 2024.

Kimble pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  He is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, with the assistance of the Windsor, West Hartford, and Hartford Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.