- Employee steals an estimated $1.3 million in car parts from workplace
- The suspect had worked at the parts distributor for over 20 years.
- After pleading guilty, the accused was sentenced to two years in prison.
Some may own up to pilfering a few supplies from the office stationery closet, but for one trusted employee, work theft somehow amounted to more than $1.3 million (£1 million) over two years.
The 42-year-old individual was employed at a parts distributor in Milton Keynes, UK. The worker admitted to the theft, with a judge handing him a sentence of two years, proving (yet again) that crime doesn’t pay.
Konrad Labinski was caught in the act. His downfall began when his colleagues started to wonder how so many parts could go unaccounted for. In addition to the inventory not quite matching up, the stolen parts were subsequently linked to an eBay account.
Nabbed In The Act
On March 4, 2025, Thames Valley police were alerted to the possible theft by employees of the parts distributor. Not quite the criminal mastermind, the police managed to trace the suspected eBay account to Labinski’s address in Milton Keynes.
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Following this, he was arrested at his workplace on March 7 after being caught stealing additional goods, reports BBC News. A subsequent search of his home uncovered more than 1,000 car parts, all believed to have been stolen and later recovered by police.
Detective Constable Vince Higgins of Milton Keynes CID described the case as a “very fast-moving investigation” that relied on coordination across multiple departments.
Making An Example
“Labinski was arrested in a way to secure further evidence, and we then found a trove of stolen property at his home address,” he said. “He had worked for the company for more than 20 years and abused the trust that was given to him.”
The stolen parts have since been returned to the company. Although Labinski refused to make any comment in a police interview. The red-handed worker then pleaded guilty to theft by an employee.
Detective Higgins added that the case should serve as a warning to others. “Labinski has gone from having a well-paid job with company perks to being unemployed, losing his job and car, and being placed in prison,” he said. “The consequences of this type of offence can be huge and life-changing.”
Sources: BBC | Photos Brembo, Garrett
