Gas stealing scheme

[superdave1984]

Brilliant. Well, except for being stupid enough to sell it for a buck 80 a gallon...

http://www.ksdk.com/news/watercooler...storyid=132092
70-Year-Old Man Had Elaborate Gas-Stealing Scheme, Police Say
Created: 10/18/2007 1:55:07 PM
Last updated: 10/18/2007 2:21:01 PM



Florida sheriff's deputies have arrested a 70-year-old man believed to have stolen thousands of gallons of gasoline using an elaborate pumping system.

Hobert Gibson of Winter Haven was arrested Tuesday on grand theft charges of stealing thousands of gallons of gas from stations in Pasco and Polk counties.Advertisement



He was charged with two counts of grand theft by each county, and may face numerous additional charges, according to a Polk County sheriff's news release.

Gibson may be responsible for stealing 3,000 to 10,000 gallons of fuel each week using a box trailer and truck to steal the gasoline from the gas stations, investigators said.

Deputies saw Gibson siphoning 400 gallons of gas from a Circle K store in Lakeland, and 523 gallons of gas from a Cumberland Farms Store in Dade City.

Deputies in a helicopter and cruisers followed Gibson to the gas stations and into Hernando County, where he was arrested.

Gibson was driving a stolen box trailer, taken from Central Food Equipment in Lakeland in 2005, deputies said.

The trailer had been outfitted with two tanks with a capacity of 3,250 gallons of fuel.

Gibson rigged a trap door in the bottom of the trailer and parked over the underground fuel tanks at gas stations.

Deputies said he would drop a hose into the tanks and use marine batteries to pump the gas into the trailer.

He would unload the fuel into larger tanks at his business, Crews Towing.

Gibson would sell the fuel at $1.80 a gallon.

Detectives said Gibson may have been at it since at least the beginning of the year.

They're now trying to find others involved.

The case is still under investigation.


NBC

[mudwitch]

A man comes up with a way to sell cheap fuel, and the govt just rubs him out.

[CrappiePappy]

A man comes up with a way to sell cheap fuel, and the govt just rubs him out.

The man is a thief ... plain and simple. Your tax dollars pay to catch guys like him. It's the same as a "fuel up & drive off" scheme ... "theft by unlawful taking"

The persons whom bought the $1.80/gal fuel ... if it can be proved they knew it was illegally obtained ... can be charged with a crime, as well -- "Knowingly receiving stolen property"

... cp

[reelcrappie]

At a buck eighty a gallon they had to know it was stolen or they were really stupid.

[mudwitch]

I was just makin a JOKE pappy,and NO I DON"T CONDONE THIEFT,PLAIN AND SIMPLE..It's funny you said that because today ,I filled up 2 vehicles at the same time(85$),and took the time to do the windows on both, and before I could go in and pay, I had the attendant REMINDING twice to not forget to pay.I was dressed in clean duds, so I would have to say I didn't look like a vagrant.I just figured that drive-off must be going thru the roof.With it going up,it looks like PAY FIRST is going to be the norm.

[crappielimits]

I had the attendant REMINDING twice to not forget to pay.I was dressed in clean duds, so I would have to say i didn't look like a vagrant.

I know you probably didn`t mean it this way , but when is it unfitting to have dirty clothes. This is a sign of a working man, which usually has money and respects the dollar. I would watch the slick clean fellows trying to put up a front. What has the world come to?

[CrappiePappy]

I was just makin a JOKE pappy,and NO I DON"T CONDONE THIEFT,PLAIN AND SIMPLE..It's funny you said that because today ,I filled up 2 vehicles at the same time(85$),and took the time to do the windows on both, and before I could go in and pay, I had the attendant REMINDING twice to not forget to pay.I was dressed in clean duds, so I would have to say I didn't look like a vagrant.I just figured that drive-off must be going thru the roof.With it going up,it looks like PAY FIRST is going to be the norm.

you was just making a joke :p (I just didn't want the anti-gov crowd to "take the ball and run with it" )

And, yes ... pay first may very well become the norm. Lots of stations here, have a night time pay first policy ... and some even have designated pumps that are pay first 24/7 !!

... cp

[Barnacle Bill]

Pay first has been the norm around here for several years now.

[wwwUncle]

i haven't seen too many places anymore, here in Illinois and over in Indiana, where you can't just stick your card in the slot at the pump.

[mudwitch]

Nuthin agin dirty cloths...it just happened to be the ony time in the week I actually had cleanins on...I know,they thought i was a politician so they figgered they better keep a eye on me!.