Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 11 august 2017
Beware at the pump: Black market fuel is making millions

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON have been migrating to
Associated Press financial crimes instead of
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A street crimes because it’s
black market for diesel and much more profitable and
gasoline has rapidly spread if you get caught, you get
around the nation, with or- probation.”
ganized crime gangs using Court records from a single
fraudulent credit cards to Secret Service case prose-
siphon millions of dollars in cuted in 2014 illustrate how
fuel from gas stations into much money even a small
large tanks hidden inside crew can take in.
pickup trucks and vans. Agents in the Los Angeles
Stealing fuel can be less area surveilled a group
risky than selling drugs or with seven pickup trucks
other illegal endeavors, and SUVs with hidden fuel
and criminals can make tanks holding up to 300 gal-
$1,000 or more a day re- lons each. For 10 months,
selling the stolen fuel at they observed drivers using
construction sites and un- credit card information sto-
scrupulous gas stations, or len from about 900 people
to truckers looking to cut to fill up three times a day.
costs, investigators and in- They transferred the diesel
dustry experts say. into a 4,500-gallon indus-
“It’s pretty rampant,” said trial fuel tanker that made
Owen DeWitt, whose Tex- daily runs to sell the fuel to
as-based company, Know This is undated photo made available by the Florida Department of Agriculture shows a truck out- gas stations.
Control, focuses solely on fitted with a large tank used to syphon gas from gas stations using stolen credit cards. Agents estimated they
helping gas stations pre- (Larry Payne/Florida Department of Agriculture via AP) stole close to $16,000 in
vent fuel theft. He said the fuel every day, with the po-
crime is worst along Inter- ness when credit card fuel up. The information is wrist-type crime, and yet tential to steal $7 million a
state 10, from Jacksonville, “skimmers” became more later transferred to a mag- they were making more year. Records indicated it
Fla., to the Los Angeles prevalent around 2006, netic strip on a counterfeit money doing this than a lot was in operation for about
area. “California and Flori- DeWitt said. Thieves install card. The problem has only of other criminal activities five years before agents
da are the two worst; Texas these devices at gas sta- grown as the devices be- that had a lot higher sen- shut it down.
is No. 3.” tion pumps, where they come more sophisticated. tences.” “Theft has been involved
Black market diesel start- record card information The black market has The U.S. Secret Service, with fuel for as long as re-
ed becoming a big busi- as unsuspecting customers grown quickly in part be- which investigates financial tailers have been selling
cause the thefts total a few crimes, is involved because fuel,” said Jeff Lenard, a
hundred dollars at a time, the gangs use credit card vice president of the Na-
and prosecutors were slow skimmers. Agent Steve tional Association of Con-
to prioritize them. But as fuel Scarince says Miami, Los venience Stores in Alexan-
thefts become more orga- Angeles and Las Vegas dria, Virginia, but today’s
nized, they have caught are hot spots, together ac- criminals are “trying to
the attention of state and counting for about 20 mil- steal hundreds, if not thou-
federal authorities around lion gallons a year in sto- sands, of gallons.”
the country. len diesel. “The crews that Thieves often use dozens of
Agriculture and Consum- we’ve investigated over fraudulent cards at a time,
er Services Commissioner the past couple of years — inserting one after anoth-
Adam Putnam’s depart- the least profitable group er to fill up hidden tanks.
ment takes the lead on is $5 million a year. And One gang used fraudulent
prosecuting these crimes in then there are groups that credit cards for a month
Florida. He said they used will gross $20 million plus,” to steal $100,000 in diesel
to be considered a “vic- Scarince said. “The gang- from two stations in central
timless” or “slap-on-the- bangers in Los Angeles Florida. q

Tulsa:

Veteran indicted in recruiting office bomb

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A suburban Tulsa. Charges military.”
grand jury has indicted a against Roden include ma- Roden has been detained
former Air Force senior air- licious damage to federal since his July 11 arrest. A
man accused of setting off property by use of an ex- judge ordered Roden to
a pipe bomb outside an plosive and possession of undergo a mental evalua-
Air Force recruiting office in unregistered destructive tion in July after defense at-
Oklahoma. devices. torneys questioned wheth-
The Tulsa World reports No one was hurt in the ex- er he can assist in his own
28-year-old Benjamin plosion. defense.
Roden now faces a seven- Court records describe A mental competency
count federal indictment Roden as a disgruntled U.S. hearing for Roden is sched-
in the July 10 bombing in veteran who “hated the uled for Aug. 29.q