TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Four people face felony charges for allegedly tampering with gas pumps and stealing fuel, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and Florida Office of Agricultural Enforcement said Tuesday.
Investigators said they were tipped off about fuel pump tampering at gas stations located in Lakeland and Lutz which started the criminal investigation. Investigators worked with the Pasco and Polk County Sheriff's Office and conducted surveillance in the area.
According to FDACS, investigators said they saw Yordian Diaz-Benitez using a pulsar manipulation device to steal diesel fuel at a Lutz Circle K. On March 12, the team said they saw Marlon Rosel-Rodriguez installing a pulsar manipulation device at the same Circle K.
The investigators later said they saw Yulier Garcia-Martinez and Rogelio Llerena trying to steal fuel by putting a pulsar manipulation device inside a pump at a Circle K in Lakeland.
Diaz-Benitez and Rosel-Rodriguez, both of Tampa, face three felony charges while Garcia-Martinez and Llerena, of Orlando, face multiple charges as well.
“Our law enforcement investigators, officers, and partners are working hard every day to protect Florida consumers and businesses from theft and other fraud at gas stations across our state,” said Commissioner Nikki Fried. “Whether individuals are trying to steal fuel like in these situations or credit card data with skimmers, know that our department will continue to crackdown on crimes at our gas pumps.”
