A traffic stop in Mentone, Alabama, turned into a whole different kind of fuel economy story on Monday when deputies say they found roughly 600 gallons of diesel sitting in the back of a U-Haul and arrested the man behind the wheel on multiple felony charges.
According to a press release from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy pulled over the U-Haul on Highway 117 near East River Road at about 2:20 a.m. and spotted large fuel tanks "stowed improperly" in the cargo area. A closer look turned up a bag filled with electrical switches, wiring, remotes and battery packs, which, paired with the sheer volume of fuel, raised immediate red flags.
The driver was identified as 42-year-old Michel Alvarez of Los Angeles and was booked on several felonies, including unlawful motor vehicle fuel transport, first-degree receiving stolen property and possession of burglary tools, according to WAFF. Officials told the outlet Alvarez did not have the required paperwork or a commercial license to haul that much fuel, and the Department of Homeland Security was notified and is assisting with the investigation.
DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden called the stop a major preventive catch, saying in the department’s release that "this traffic stop uncovered a large, multi-state fuel theft operation that posed a serious threat to public safety." Authorities say the investigation is still in its early stages and that more charges could be on the way.
How Deputies Say the Diesel Scheme Worked
Investigators told reporters that Alvarez had traveled from New Jersey down the East Coast and allegedly gained access to an unknown number of truck-stop diesel pumps, making them dispense fuel without payment. SFGATE reports that officials did not spell out the technical trick used to "scam" the pumps or say exactly what the driver planned to do with the stolen diesel.
Part of a Bigger Fuel Theft Playbook
The bust in DeKalb County mirrors other recent cases in which investigators say thieves convert rental trucks or vans into rolling fuel tanks and quietly siphon diesel from gas stations and truck stops. In Florida, for example, an effort dubbed Operation Van Diesel dismantled a major fuel theft ring that used modified vans with large tanks and led to the recovery of tens of thousands of gallons in a multi-county probe.
Local and state officials say schemes like these carry obvious public-safety and environmental risks, and agencies have been working more closely across jurisdictions to track and disrupt the theft and resale of diesel to trucking yards and other buyers. In this case, law enforcement is coordinating with federal partners while investigators work to identify where the fuel came from and whether other suspects are involved.
The case remains active, and authorities say more charges could follow as the probe continues. WAFF reports that investigators are asking anyone who has information about suspicious fuel-transfer activity to contact their local law enforcement agency.
