Most delivery drivers just want to finish their route, drop the load, and get home in time for dinner. But police in Washington County, Pennsylvania, say one Little Debbie route driver had a side hustle that involved his own delivery van, a folding table, and a flea market crowd looking for cheap snack cakes.
Thirty-nine-year-old James Powell of Valley Grove, West Virginia, is now facing multiple charges after investigators said he was quietly selling company product out of his truck for cash instead of delivering it to the stores on his route. It is the kind of story that makes you wonder how long a scheme like this can run before someone upstairs starts asking why the Oatmeal Creme Pies aren’t moving like they used to.
According to CBS News, the investigation began in May when local police were contacted by another sheriff’s office regarding allegations of theft and fraud against Powell, a former employee of Stewart Snacks, LLC, a distributor based in Richmond, Ohio. As an employee, Powell’s job was to order, transport, deliver, stock, and service Little Debbie snack products at retail locations across Washington County.
That job apparently came with a commission structure, and that is where things get interesting. Investigators said Powell was paid based on how many snacks he sold in his assigned territory each week. Instead of relying purely on Walmart and Giant Eagle to move the merchandise, police allege he found a second market entirely.
The Flea Market Side Hustle
Police said Powell would sell Little Debbie products for cash straight out of his delivery vehicle at flea markets, then turn around and submit fake invoices making it look like the snacks had actually gone to his assigned stores. On paper, everything looked normal.
In reality, stores like Giant Eagle, Walmart, and Shop ‘n Save were apparently being billed for boxes of Swiss Rolls and Zebra Cakes that never touched their shelves.
Investigators say the fraudulent invoices submitted to those stores added up to more than $13,300 between July and September of 2025, reported Local 12. That is a lot of Nutty Bars unaccounted for.
The Commission Kicker
Here is the part that probably annoyed investigators the most. It was not just about pocketing cash at the flea market. Because those phantom sales counted toward his numbers, Powell’s alleged scheme also boosted his commission checks by more than $3,700, pushing the total alleged loss north of $17,100.
So not only was he allegedly getting paid twice for the same box of snacks, once at the flea market table and once from his employer’s own commission structure, he was doing it with a paper trail that eventually caught up to him.
Powell is now facing charges including forgery, theft by deception, theft by unlawful taking, deceptive or fraudulent business practices, and tampering with records. The allegations remain pending, and no plea or court outcome has been publicly reported yet.
Our Take
There is something almost old-fashioned about this one. No key fobs, no hacked apps, no high-speed chase, just a guy, a van full of snack cakes, and a folding table at the flea market. It is the kind of scheme that probably felt clever for a few months until someone noticed the invoices did not match the shelves.
If the allegations hold up, it is a good reminder that a route with an unlocked commission structure and no second set of eyes is basically an invitation. Powell may have banked on nobody ever comparing a delivery log to a sales receipt.
Turns out somebody eventually did.