OKLAHOMA COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – A major soda heist has fizzled out.
Three men in Oklahoma City have been charged in connection with the theft of thousands of dollars worth of Dr. Pepper syrup which they allegedly re-sold to the owner of a local gas station, Oklahoma County District Court records reveal.
The suspects are accused of scheming to steal whole pallets of the syrup from a Keurig Dr Pepper facility in Oklahoma City over the course of several months. A representative for the company estimates that over $100,000 worth of the syrup was stolen during that time.
Jimmy Robinson III was first caught breaking into the Keurig Dr Pepper facility in October by a security guard, according to court documents. Following his arrest, a regional manager for the company identified Robinson as a former employee who had quit in August.
The manager added that whole pallets of the syrup — known as Dr. Pepper 5-Gallon Bag in a Box — had been going missing since May. The affidavit says each Bag in a Box unit is worth $98, and a pallet contains 40 units.
Documents indicate it was the regional manager who “began placing GPS trackers in the boxes which were being stolen” in order to catch the perpetrator. GPS tracking showed the stolen pallets being dropped off at a gas station several miles northwest of the facility.
Robinson later told police that the owner of the gas station, Doc Ngyuen, paid him $50 for each bag of syrup. Court documents show Robinson also claimed that Ngyuen knew the product was stolen.
Robinson estimated that he stole 10 pallets of the product while he was still employed, or about $39,200 worth of soda syrup, court filings say. But Robinson is accused of continuing to steal “2–3 pallets every couple of weeks after he quit.”
The total cost of the syrup stolen since May is estimated at over $100,000, according to the affidavit.
A third man, Hector Archila-Rodas, is also accused of playing a role in the alleged scheme.
Robinson, Ngyuen and Archila-Rodas are now facing felony charges.
“We are thankful for the efforts of local law enforcement and are cooperating with them as legal proceedings move forward,” Vicki Draughn, a spokeswoman for Keurig Dr Pepper, wrote in a statement shared with Nexstar’s KFOR.