TAMPA, Fla. — Six men face multiple charges for stealing about $60,000 worth of gas from two gas stations in Hillsborough County, Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
How were they caught? The sheriff's office says its deputies, along with the Florida Highway Patrol, were part of an undercover operation to take down an "organized crime ring" that was operating in the area.
Dubbed "Operation Empty Tank," deputies were able to do the "tedious" work to track down the men responsible for the thefts and arrest six people involved, Chronister said.
One man, who Chronister said may have fled to Cuba, is still at large.
How were the men getting away with the theft? Chronister said they used a makeshift device to disable the mechanism on the gas pump that tracks how much fuel is pumped and how much it costs.
The sheriff said in one instance, their operation allowed them to steal 600 gallons of fuel and only pay $6 at the pump.
Chronister said detectives were able to prove on seven separate occasions, split across two Circle K gas stations, the men would rotate trucks through the pump, filling hidden "bladders" with fuel. Each time, the men spent about 12 hours at the gas station.
As for what they would do with the gas once they stole it, Chronister said they would set up shop at empty lots and sell the fuel at a "significant" reduction.
But, as gas prices skyrocketed across the area, they would raise their rates to further capitalize on their theft, Chronister said.
And, while Chronister said the people who bought the fuel from the organized crime ring were in the wrong, criminal charges won't be brought up for those drivers.
After an investigation, six men were arrested on various RICO charges.
Chronister says his detectives' work isn't done because they believe more gas stations were targeted and fleeced.
He added the reason the theft matters is because situations like this drive up prices further for the rest of us as the gas company recoups its losses, squeezing our wallets more.