NEW CASTLE, DE — Delaware State Police arrested a California man after investigators say he and a second suspect used fake documents to take a trailer loaded with more than $680,000 worth of electronics from a New Castle warehouse.
Police identified the man as 35-year-old Dushatdaman Parihar of Manteca, California. He was taken into custody without incident after troopers say they saw him walking toward the tractor-trailer parked at University Plaza in Newark.
The trailer was later recovered and returned to the business with all of the cargo still inside.
Troopers say suspects posed as FedEx employees
According to Delaware State Police, the theft happened on Sept. 14, 2026, at about 9:15 a.m. Two suspects arrived at the business in the 1100 block of River Road in New Castle in a tractor-trailer cab. They told employees they were FedEx workers and showed driver’s licenses and shipping paperwork for the load.
Police said the paperwork appeared legitimate at first and the suspects were able to attach the trailer to the cab and drive away. The shipment was later found to contain electronics valued at more than $680,000.
Investigators say the documents used in the handoff were later determined to be fraudulent.
Caller spots the tractor-trailer at University Plaza
Troopers were called to University Plaza in Newark on Sept. 15 after someone reported the cargo theft and later found the tractor-trailer parked there. While speaking with the caller, troopers saw one of the suspects walking back toward the vehicle.
That suspect was later identified as Parihar. Police said they contacted him at the scene and checked the licenses presented at the warehouse as well as the registration plate displayed on the tractor-trailer.
Troopers determined both the driver’s licenses and the plate were fraudulent, according to the arrest announcement.
Arrest, charges and bond conditions
Police said Parihar was taken to Troop 2 after his arrest. He was later arraigned by the Justice of the Peace Court and committed to the Department of Correction on a $66,550 secured bond.
He faces multiple charges, including felony theft where the property value is $100,000 or more, first-degree forgery, second-degree forgery, second-degree conspiracy and a fictitious registration plate charge.
Delaware State Police said the investigation remains active and that detectives are still looking into the case.
State police ask for tips as investigation continues
The Criminal Investigations Unit is handling the case, and detectives are asking anyone with information to contact Detective S. Marioni at 302-365-8388. Tips can also be shared through a private Facebook message to Delaware State Police or by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
State police also included victim support information in the announcement, saying the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and the Delaware Victim Center are available 24 hours a day for people affected by crime or sudden loss.
Officials say the shipment was recovered intact
One of the key details in the case is that the stolen trailer was not empty when it was recovered. Troopers said the cargo was still inside when the trailer was returned to the business.
Police have not said what happened to the second suspect or whether additional arrests are expected. For now, the case centers on the alleged use of fake identities, forged documents and a fraudulent plate to move a valuable shipment out of a New Castle warehouse and into Newark.
Authorities said Parihar is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.