A Philadelphia man named William Cole has been hit with a 70-month prison stint for masterminding a diesel-stealing racket and breaking gun possession laws, U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero's office said. The 32-year-old Philly native also received three years of supervised release as part of his punishment handed down by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh.
Cole, who had pleaded guilty back in October 2023, directed a scheme where he and his accomplices used purloined credit card data to illicitly acquire over $750,000 worth of diesel from various gas stations. According to official statements, they would then to resell the fuel at a cut rate. Cole's criminal activities spanned from March 2021 to June 21, 2023, exploiting data to fill up supplementary tanks using his own trucks.
Digging deeper into his crimes, on June 26, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) found a semi-automatic Smith and Wesson and a modified Glock 27 at Cole's place during a search approved by the court. The latter firearm had been tweaked to fully automatic—a serious violation given Cole's past drug and weapons convictions in Pennsylvania, which disqualify him from owning guns.
"Cole fueled his scheme using other people’s stolen information and armed himself with guns he knew he shouldn’t have," U.S. Attorney Romero stated. She insisted that the sentence was necessary to hold him accountable for not only his financial malfeasance but also for his repeat violations of firearms laws. HSI Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker echoed Romero's sentiments, emphasizing the need to fully prosecute fraudsters targeting commercial entities and praising the collaborative efforts leading to Cole's conviction.
The case against Cole was pursued by HSI Philadelphia's El Dorado - Cyber Crimes Investigations Task Force (C2iTF) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison. With this conviction, authorities have made it clear that schemes exploiting financial systems and unlawful possession of firearms by repeat offenders like Cole will be met with stringent legal consequences.
