Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Police: Stolen fuel scheme a potentially explosive act

Stolen Fuel Scheme

Metro Police

Metro Police released this photo of a pickup truck modified with a large tank they allege thieves used to steal fuel from area gas stations using counterfeit credit cards and then resell for pennies on the dollar.

Thieves using counterfeit credit cards bought thousands of gallons of fuel at valley gas stations, dangerously storing it in residential neighborhoods and reselling it for pennies on the dollar, according to Metro Police.

A spark could “level a neighborhood,” said Lt. Shane Womack, who today announced a couple dozen arrests in a multiagency crackdown. “This is not just a financial crime problem.”

The investigation, which began within the last 18 months, netted more than 25 arrests on felony counts, Womack said. Authorities also seized vehicles modified with tanks designed to carry hundreds of gallons of fuel, he said.

The suspects would sell gasoline directly from the vehicles and also store it in containers of up to 1,000 gallons inside houses and in backyards, Womack said.

Police didn’t name the suspects but most were part of a syndicate, Womack said. They bought the fuel with counterfeit cards made with numbers from credit cards stolen across the country, he said.

Metro investigators spotted a trend of phony cards being used to purchase hundreds of gallons of fuel at a time and began surveillance to track the suspects, Womack said. They also discovered that fuel stolen in neighboring states was being stored in Clark County, he said.

The Clark County Fire Department examined the seized containers and most were not designed to carry flammable liquids, posing a significant fire risk, Deputy Chief Jon Wiercinski said. He noted that a “handful” of recent house and vehicle fires have been connected to fuel theft.

Metro is training employees at fuel companies and gas stations to spot the crime, and a public service video was released today, Womack said.