State grand jury indicts six in gas skimming scheme
Apr 27, 2019, 5:46 PM
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
PHOENIX — Six individuals have been indicted by a state grand jury for their part in a gas skimming scheme.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced Friday that six men who were allegedly taking part in an illegal credit card skimming ring were indicted for fraudulent schemes and artifices, conspiracy, illegally conducting an enterprise, computer tampering, organized theft and taking the identity of another person.
The individuals, Juan Cespedes-Martinez, Bladimir Thomas Rodriguez, Jesus Chavez Cespedes, Rene Chavez Valdivia, Dadiel Lopez Garcia and Leosvani Rodriguez-Rojas, allegedly participated in the gas skimming scheme between April 11 and December 20 of 2018. The six used stolen credit card information to purchase diesel fuel for resale.
The investigation was conducted by the Arizona Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, which worked with the Kroger Company Organized Retail Crime Team and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
In February of 2018, ADOT investigators found tractor trailers being fueled from hidden auxiliary fuel tanks contained on the trucks at a private storage lot. Several individuals and fuel tanks allegedly involved in the scheme were identified.
The investigation revealed that the individuals accused used stolen credit card information that was later encoded onto a new card and then used at the pump to purchase fuel. There are allegedly 31 separate occasions of the ring using 40 different individuals’ credit card information at 12 different gas stations in the Phoenix area.
Circle K, Fry’s Fuel, Shell and QuickTrip were the gas stations used in the scheme.
According to authorities, 40 skimmers have been found in Arizona.