A FedEx package containing $43,549 in gold and silver reached a home in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, on May 11, but according to Bensalem Township Police, someone other than the intended recipient signed for it and drove away.
Police identified the accused woman as 25-year-old Kaileigh Hogan of Ontario, Canada. Investigators allege she claimed the valuable delivery was hers before leaving the neighborhood in a rented Nissan sedan.
Police say Hogan returned the Nissan to Philadelphia International Airport that same day and boarded a flight to Arizona.
The department announced Hogan’s arrest on Aug. 7, bringing renewed attention to the unusual case. KSAZ-TV in Phoenix, a Fox station, reported the Arizona connection the following day.
The Package Disappeared After One Signature
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The official Bensalem Township Police Facebook post pairs a photograph of Hogan with the department’s account of the alleged theft, investigation, and arrest.
Police said a member of the recipient’s family watched a woman claim ownership of the arriving package. Investigators allege Hogan signed for the delivery and then left with the gold and silver.
Authorities have not disclosed how the woman allegedly knew when the valuable shipment would arrive.
The Rental Nissan Kept Leaving Clues
Detectives said intersection cameras, license plate readers, and other surveillance footage helped them identify the Nissan sedan. The department did not disclose the car’s model, license plate or precise route through Bensalem.
Investigators determined that Hogan had rented the vehicle from Enterprise Rent-A-Car at Philadelphia International Airport on May 10, one day before the package disappeared.
Police allege Hogan returned the car to the airport shortly after the theft and flew to Arizona that same day. They have not identified the airline, flight, or Arizona airport involved. The rental-car information provided detectives with a name associated with the vehicle captured on camera.
The Trail Eventually Led Back to the Border
Bensalem police obtained an arrest warrant charging Hogan with forgery, theft by unlawful taking and theft by deception. Investigators then notified U.S. Customs and Border Protection because Hogan was visiting the United States on a Canadian visa.
Federal officers took Hogan into custody July 5 as she allegedly attempted to cross into Canada at Lewiston, New York. The Bucks County Sheriff’s Office transported her back to Pennsylvania on July 31.
Magisterial District Judge Michael Gallagher set bail at 10% of $1 million, which would require a $100,000 payment. Hogan was then taken to the Bucks County Correctional Facility. KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia reported on Aug. 7 that Hogan remained in custody. A later court outcome had not been announced as of Aug. 9.
The police statement does not say whether investigators recovered the $43,549 in gold and silver. Hogan has been charged but not convicted. The allegations against her will have to be established through the court process.