Diesel thieves across Northwest Florida were not hacking computers or cracking safes. Investigators say they were carrying magnets and knew exactly where to put them.
State agricultural agents say they have disrupted an organized scheme that used powerful magnets to trick diesel pumps into pouring fuel without payment, filling multiple semi-truck tanks and costing travel centers thousands of dollars. Arrests have been made in Santa Rosa, Escambia and Walton counties as authorities work to match vehicles and suspects to a multi-county operation. Officials describe the trick as simple but precise: place a strong magnet in just the right spot and the pump’s payment safeguard can be bypassed.
Four charged after surveillance catches scheme
The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement has identified four people in connection with the case: Elieser Perez, Sergio Machin, Sofiel Ferino and Sediel Carrazana. Investigators say surveillance video shows them opening fuel pump panels and using magnets to manipulate internal solenoids so diesel flowed without any payment being recorded, according to WEAR-TV.
The suspects face multiple felony charges, including Organized Fraud, Retail Fuel Theft by physically tampering with a fuel dispenser and Grand Theft, investigators told the station.
Investigators: magnets bypass pump mechanism
Investigators told FOX San Antonio the magnets can mechanically override an internal pump component, which lets diesel flow while the point-of-sale system never registers a purchase. Some locations reportedly took heavy hits, including a Love’s travel stop in Santa Rosa County.
The trail heated up during a regulatory inspection at the Pensacola agricultural inspection station. Officers said a K-9 alerted to narcotics, and an inspector then found a concealed magnet in a vehicle that matched a BOLO description tied to the theft investigation.
Why thieves target diesel
Captain Brad Brady described the magnets as very specific tools that make large-volume thefts both possible and profitable for resellers or shady businesses, according to FOX San Antonio. "They're relatively strong magnets," he said, noting they are powerful enough to interfere with the pump’s inner workings.
A local truck driver interviewed by investigators drove home the financial incentive, estimating it costs "about $800, I guess, to fill it up" when topping off a semi-truck tank. That kind of price tag makes big rigs an especially tempting target.
Charges and next steps
Local reports say the defendants were booked and later released on various bond amounts while the broader investigation continues, according to WEAR-TV. Investigators told reporters they expect additional arrests as they follow new leads and connect more incidents to the same operation.
Authorities are urging station operators and drivers to save any relevant surveillance footage and to report suspicious activity around fuel pumps, in hopes of tying more vehicles and individuals to the diesel thefts already uncovered.
