Five Florida men are facing felony charges after authorities say they used strong magnets to manipulate fuel pumps and steal diesel from semi trucks across northwest Florida.
The five accused—Sergio Machin, 37; Elieser Perez, 31; Sofiel Ferino, 55; Alain De Jesus Aguila-Martinez, 26; and Sediel Carrazana, 35—face charges including tampering with retail fuel dispensers, organized fraud and grand theft, according to WEAR.
Alain De Jesus Aguila-Martinez was arrested separately in Pensacola and faces larceny, organized fraud, retail fuel theft tampering and petit theft; the other four face organized fraud and retail fuel theft charges, WEAR reported.
Captain Brad Brady of the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement said fuel theft schemes often involve selling stolen diesel or supplying businesses, and Florida tightened penalties for magnet-based pump manipulation in July 2023.
This summary is based on coverage by Jalopnik.
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