A UPS truck driver was arrested after he allegedly urinated in a cup in his truck and then tampered with what turned out to be a drug sting camera to try to hide his actions.
Driver Claims He Acted to Hide Video of Himself Urinating
Bobby Ray Talavera was urinating in a cup in the back of his truck on a busy day when he did not have time to find a restroom. He says he looked up and noticed a camera and assumed UPS was performing some sort of urination sting. “I felt humiliated when I saw the camera,” he said in an interview.
Hidden Camera Part of Narcotics Theft Sting Operation
The camera turned out to be part of a drug sting investigation conducted jointly by federal and local authorities. Hidden cameras were placed on several trucks to try to discover why shipments of narcotics for the Department of Veterans Affairs kept disappearing from UPS trucks. Up to 20 shipments of drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine have vanished from UPS trucks operating out of the Lakeland facility since January.
Investigators say that Talavera removed the memory card from the camera and replaced it with one of his own — which Talavera has denied. He said that he moved the camera so that he would not be observed urinating. He claims that the union said he was within his rights to do so because company surveillance is not allowed.
Truck Driver Arrested and Fired
The missing memory card was later found in a convenience store. The Sheriff’s office said that the video did show Talavera opening some packages, but if this was the case, it is unclear why he was never charged with doing so.
Talavera was arrested and charged with misdemeanor theft and tampering with evidence in a joint local and federal investigation.
Talavera was fired from UPS. He worked for the company for 16 years and had a clean record, aside from a child support issue years ago.
UPS says that their drivers do not urinate in their trucks and that they have ample time to take breaks.
Sources:
TambaBay.com