TAMPA -- Six men are facing charges after Hillsborough deputies say they busted a gas theft ring.
Hillsborough sheriff Chad Chronister says the operation stole about $60 thousand in gas, by hacking the pumps at convenience stores. Chronister says the crooks created a device to override the system that measures gasoline, so that they could get gallons of gas for pennies each, or even for free. Then they would line up specially configured trucks to pump away, sometimes as much as 12 hours a day.
"They were able to pump that fuel into large bladders, that they would have on top of their truck, or sometimes inside a van, or beneath the truck, " Chronister said. Detectives believe the fuel was sold within hours of pumping, at lots where commercial vehicles were stored, for about a 25 percent discount. They think as much as $60,000 worth of fuel was siphoned away into the criminal operation.
Chronister says the management at a Circle K store in south Hillsborough called the thefts to deputies' attention when they discovered thousands of dollars in fuel sale discrepancies. He adds that even though the victim is Circle K, the rest of us will pay at the pump to cover their misfortune. "We'll be paying higher fuel prices because these thieves saw the opportunity to take advantage of others," Chronister said.
One suspect is still loose and may have returned to his native Cuba. Here are the other six, per HCSO:
Luis Alcalde-Hernandez
Age: 35
Booked in Marion County Jail
Charges: RICO
Conspiracy to Commit RICO
Grand Theft (x6)
Access Computer/Electronics without Authority (x6)
Albert Aleman-Gonzalez
Age: 42
Booked in Hillsborough County Jail
Charges:
RICO
Conspiracy to Commit RICO
Grand Theft (x6)
Access Computer/Electronics without Authority (x6)
Nestor Flores-Rodriguez
Age: 32
Booked in Marion County Jail
Charges:
RICO
Conspiracy to Commit RICO
Grand Theft (x6)
Access Computer/Electronics without Authority (x6)
Javier Penate-Berbe
Age: 20
Turned Himself into Orlando PD
Charges:
RICO
Conspiracy to Commit RICO
Grand Theft (x2)
Access Computer/Electronics without Authority (x2)
Jesus Andres Perez-Cueto
Age: 54
Booked in Sumter County Jail
Charges:
RICO
Conspiracy to Commit RICO
Grand Theft (x5)
Access Computer/Electronics without Authority (x5)
Danys Vazquez-Sosa
Age: 36
Booked in Hillsborough County Jail
Charges:
RICO
Conspiracy to Commit RICO
Grand Theft (x5)
Access Computer/Electronics without Authority (x5)
Photo: Canva