The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, in coordination with the District Attorney's Office, has cracked down on a fuel theft ring with a reach that many might find shocking. An investigation sparked by a single identity theft report has now revealed a scheme involving hundreds of gallons of siphoned gas, sophisticated credit card skimming devices, and a cache of cash amounting to $44,000.
It started when a victim noticed their credit card charged at a Safeway despite never setting foot in the store. Santa Clara investigators traced this seemingly minor anomaly back to two suspects believed to have been masterfully taking gasoline from county Safeway fuel stations using stolen credit card data. These individuals, hailing from the East Bay, did not simply stop to fill their tanks. Instead, they opted to store the fuel in 300-gallon containers within a box truck at the Port of Oakland, later selling the purloined petrol to unsuspecting customers.
According to a Facebook post by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, the investigation has accounted for over $90,000 worth of stolen gas and diesel. The two suspects have been charged with organized retail theft, conspiracy, and other felonies. The tip-off led to a two-month investigation that culminated in these arrests.
