If you’ve driven by a gas station in the past month or own a vehicle that takes diesel, you’ve probably noticed that diesel is insanely expensive right now. Since the start of the conflict in Iran, the average price of diesel in the U.S. has surged by over 40%, to over $5 a gallon, according to CNBC. That’s a good deal more than the national average of $4.16 a gallon for regular-grade gasoline, as reported by AAA.
For most people, that means putting your car into fuel-sipping drive mode or driving your big diesel truck a bit less. For others, like these two people who were recently arrested by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in California, it means allegedly resorting to stealing fuel instead of paying at the pump.
We’re not talking about merely pumping your car full of gas and taking off without paying, either. According to police, these folks stole the equivalent of around $63,000 worth of diesel using a box truck modified to carry hundreds of gallons of fuel and a couple of portable, gas-powered water pumps anyone could source off of eBay.
According to police, the theft occurred from a business on the 46000 block of Dillon Road in Coachella, California. Going by a quick Google Map search, that location coincides with a TA-branded truck stop and a Shell station for passenger cars. The two suspects, identified as 40-year-old Steven Anthony Bailey and 27-year-old Brian Briseno Mena, are accused of stealing roughly 9,000 gallons of diesel fuel. This works out to about $7 a gallon, which coincides with current averages in California, according to AAA data.
What’s interesting about this theft is just how the suspects allegedly pulled off the scheme. Police say the suspects used modified vehicles to extract large amounts of fuel from the station, and included a photo of what looks to be a Hino 268 box truck with an absolutely gigantic aftermarket fuel tank installed behind the standard driver’s side tank:
Here’s a photo of a normal Hino 268, for comparison:
Police say they discovered the box truck after serving warrants in the nearby towns of Apple Valley and Perris during their investigation. The cops also found two mobile, gas-powered water pumps—specifically, a pair of Predator-branded 79-cc pumps you can buy from eBay for under $300 each.
Going by the photo above provided by the cops, the pumps were stashed inside the box truck and attached to some long rubber hoses. The police don’t mention whether they actually found the missing diesel or not, but if I had to guess, the thieves probably used the pumps to move the gas from that massive tank into an undisclosed location, where it could be stored, sold, or used later.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has dealt with this sort of fuel theft operation. In its release, the department describes an eerily similar theft involving a modified vehicle stealing from a fuel station in Mecca, CA, which is just down the road from the Thermal Club, a private country club-style race track facility:
On May 16, 2025, deputies from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station responded to a business in the 90000 block of 66th Avenue, Mecca, regarding theft of fuel at a business. Upon arrival, deputies located an abandoned vehicle at the location and determined the suspects had fled the area. During the investigation, deputies learned the suspects had manipulated a diesel fuel pump and utilized modified vehicles to conceal and transport fuel. This incident resulted in the theft of approximately 463 gallons of diesel fuel, valued at about $2,100.00.
This time around, though, the thieves transported far more diesel. Even if there were another tank on the other side of that box truck, they would’ve had to make several trips to steal 9,000 gallons. It’s possible the thieves also had more tanks in the truck’s cargo compartment, but the photos show an empty space, save for those pumps. The Hino 268’s normal fuel capacity is 95 gallons, though with the addition of that extra tank, this one could carry far more. Even so, 9,000 gallons is a lot of fuel. For some perspective, the average semi truck can carry up to 300 gallons of diesel fuel with two tanks.
The cops don’t specify the thieves’ exact methodology, nor do they go into detail about how the pumps were “manipulated” to dispense fuel without any payment being made, likely to deter any copycats from getting any bright ideas. Either way, I’ve reached out to the department for more info, and I’ll update this post if I hear back.
Sheriffs arrested Bailey and Mena on April 7 without incident, charging the former with grand theft, theft of fuel, conspiracy, and organized retail theft, and the latter with a felony warrant for theft of fuel. Whether the fuel will be recovered is unclear. I know diesel is expensive right now, but I don’t think rigging up a truck to steal thousands of gallons is a viable alternative, as this outcome shows.
Top graphic images: Riverside County Sheriff’s Department; DepositPhotos.com
No sympathy. This is what happens when your batshit retard policies lead to $7 a gallon. Expect more of this.
so I recently watched the movie Roofman (excellent btw) and re-watched Heat and both have me thinking about caper/heist logistics…
so the Google AI machine tells me that 9,000 gallons of diesel weighs 63,000lbs and that payload on a 24ft box truck is just 10,000 lbs. So that’s at least 7 trips — or at least 7 trucks. also it showed me that 1000 gallon tanks or bladders is probably the most efficient way to store or carry all that. so maybe 9 trips? Also, what’s the flow rate on those pumps? how long did the truck have to sit there? PS Predator engines, while great, are freaking LOUD.
a lot of limiting factors is what I’m sayin’ — not the least of which is how to fence it all, at what, half price (I have no idea)? so all that work and then selling each 1000 gallon tankful for around $3500 to a shady commercial buyer? here’s the kicker – those tanks alone cost $2k-$5k, so the only way to make any money would be to reuse it and do the same heist over and over (or steal all your hardware I guess)
In Germany, they’re way more expensive thanks to the destructive Merz coalition who gleefully and wantonly shit on German voters and taxpayers.
The fuel price at the petrol station on the Autobahn near me:
Diesel €2.72 = $12.12 US per gallon
E10 (95 oct) €2.66 = $11.85
E5 (95 oct) €2.82 = $12.57
Premium E10 (102 oct) €3.05 = $13.59
Premium Diesel €3.13 = $13.95
No temporary relief measures to reduce the CO2 tax (as several European countries do) or to cap the price (as Poland does).
Germans keep voting for the leftist/liberal political parties (CDU/CSU, Die Grünen, and SPD – similar to Democrat Party in the US) who are so fanatic in destroying Germany with deindustralisation, irrational and useless green agendas, escalating cost of living, and so forth. Germans get what they vote for…
So, stop complaining about how expensive the fuel is in the United States. Biden Administration had done a lot to damage the domestic oil production (killing the Keystone XL pipeline to start with, for instance).
The Keystone XL had nothing to do with US domestic oil production. It was specifically designed to move Canadian tar sands oil to refineries in the US because Canada didn’t want the pollution and cost associated with refining that garbage.
I read your comment fully awaiting the Biden-bashing, and was not disappointed.
Except that you’re fulla-caca: one metric of Biden’s administration was the record amounts of petroleum that was pumped. It would be nice if you’d save the propaganda for your comments in the FOX News forums.
Re. Germany: they’re attempting to transition away from cheap Russian fuel, and for that I salute them, unlike the Putin-aligned orange president sinking our nation.
Not really a genius move. They parked over a tank and pumped it out. Then somehow got caught.
3/10.
It’s hard to offload that much diesel without someone ratting you out and ruining all the fun.
Plus, 9,000 gallons is A LOT to siphon off from a single station. They’re gonna notice…
They usually sell to gas stations.
Inspired by the middle east. Camels know what they are doing. I guess if they had hooked up a trailer it would have been a camel tow.
Were they planning on selling it door-to-door or something? Because that idea sounds all sorts of good
In garbage bags.
Wild card, bitches!!
“Y’all got any DEF to go with that Diesel?” 😉
(My apologies to Chappelle)
I think I saw a TV Show where they stuck the hoses into the underground tanks while parked over them and pumped them into a tanker
Diesel is over $7/gallon in Washington state.
Saw an article today that the cure for high diesel pricing in the freight industry is clearly to automate the drivers out of jobs and not, you know, don’t start unnecessary wars with obvious consequences.
Or switch to electric….
As soon as home Depot can get in extension cords big enough.
If you’re buying those pumps off eBay, you’re paying $71 more than you’d pay at Harbor Freight.
True but probably harder to track down the buyer compared to a store security camera.
What happens in Harbor Freight stays in Harbor Freight.
…I know Diesel is less volatile than gasoline, but I feel like if the law hadn’t caught them, the fireball eventually would’ve with farm pumps like that.
At least we’re not at the point (in the US, at least,) where a fuel truck crash would lure hundreds of people with fuel cans into explosion radius…right?
Or where people are tapping into pipelines. We’ve got a lot of them going through pretty remote areas. Just sayin’…
Drive around the neighborhood. Follow your nose, it always knows.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gang_Solves_the_Gas_Crisis
Wildcard!
Amateurs…
Long ago the Postal Service thought they’d save money by giving their transportation contractors Postal Service fuel cards so they could avoid paying state fuel taxes. Problem was, some of the contractors used their trucks to haul stuff for other outfits besides the Postal Service and had personal diesel cars and pickups too…
Wow, I was thinking about dressing up in Mad Max attire next time I go to fill up with painfully expensive non-ethanol, now I just feel like I have to…
I’m guessing the police will catch these guys pretty quickly. One of them is probably in a Wal-Mart parking lot selling Ziplock bags of diesel fuel. The other one is at the WaWa across the street seeing if he can return 200 gallons of diesel and get a refund because it “smells funny”.
“Sorry I lost the receipt. Sure I’ll take $1300 in store credit.”
“Hey man get over here quick. There’s a guy in the parking lot selling diesel for cheap. It’s totally legit. He says it’s from the refinery he built in his garage. Says he’s also got bunker fuel, kerosene, and asphalt.”
Wonder if they stole some methylamine from a train as well?
Next up, gas tanker trucks now being escorted by private security LOL
And then attacked by crews in identical modified Honda Civics.
Make those fuel transporters think twice before they jack up their rigs an extra 24 inches.
Hey, that extra 24 inches gives a lot more room for the wind to go under the trailer. Less blow-over risk if they get caught near a tornado! Totally legitimate.
Say, yeah, they’ll never notice the dribs and drabs! Why hasn’t anyone thought of this?!
I always figured it was to give them better angles for rock crawling. But tornados makes a lot more sense.
No, you steal gas with a GNX, a couple of modified pickups, some liquid nitrogen and a hammer! (the fourth film, I think)
What makes this car site so special is seemingly no one here can confidently describe anything in the fast and furious franchise.
They should’ve just done like the guy from my work. Fill up an extra fuel can when filling the service truck.
Until management asks why the truck consistently takes an extra 20L of fuel during his shifts.
Then he went on medical leave until retirement before they could terminate him (he was first on scene to a fatal bus accident a few years prior, PTSD excuse was used).
That’s just being greedy. A couple litres here and there and no one would have noticed.
It’s like kids cheating in exams. For those who fail their math tests all the time, don’t aim for 100. Aim for a 55.
Aim for a 63, you want a solid D at the end of the day.
You need a C- for the major. That’s a 67, good sir!
I think they are already at 55, that’s failing
In engineering school sometimes a 55 is an A…
“A+?!? Bart, a D turns into a B so easily. You just got greedy.”
https://youtu.be/PYA0jV3Illk?si=kp-fYDOJxyEkCfP1
As a TA I quickly learned many cheaters don’t copy from smarter people who have the right answers but from their not so smarter friends who probably don’t.
Don’t copy off the smartest kid in the class. They’re often using a different method than was taught in class & you get caught pretty quick.
Well this was in the days of scantrons….
Driver at work was asked why they used the company gas card outside of work hours when they don’t even have access to the company vehicle and they just quit on the spot. Asked and answered.
I’m surprised. Usually you hear of these schemes going on for decades without anyone noticing.
Something tells me this will be the first of many similar stories. Oil ain’t getting any cheaper these days, kids!
I assume they did this the simplest way: open one of the tank covers and siphon away. But that’s pretty blatant.
That’s also a lot of product to try and sell. I can’t imagine filling up my tank with discount fuel supplied by Some Guy. Maybe sell to a sketchy gas station owner who doesn’t ask questions?
if there’s ever a time to sell sketchy, unmarked fuel, I guess it’s now, when diesel in California is approaching $8 a gallon
That was my first thought too. Park over the access points and pump away. Many are located where parking over them wouldn’t draw attention
As to selling. Small fleets, contractors, plenty of people use a lot of diesel and wouldn’t ask questions if the discount was enough. Pump it into 330 gallon totes
Exactly, why would they need to manipulate the pumps if they brought their own!!
Someone stole fuel?
I am shocked. Shocked I say.
At this point in time it sort of feels like what they call a victimless crime…
Depends, alot of gas stations are independently owned, would really suck to lose that much money as a small business.
Good point but my assumption was that most would carry insurance for losses by theft, especially for amounts that would exceed the owner’s willingness to cover out of pocket themselves.
Here’s hoping. But that kind of claim ($60K+) is gonna raise their premium. Plus, if you are 9K gallons short, there’s at least a chance you’re going to run dry and lose revenue before the emergency resupply arrives.
IMHO much better to take a rate increase vs a 60K loss, but what the hell do I know?
Oh for sure. I was just pointing out that even with insurance the owner will still get screwed (but obviously a lot less).
Yes, agreed. Back in 72 I had my first job at a Chevron, age 14. The owner was a young guy of 24. He would regularly park the tow truck, and another car directly over the tank fills each night at closing. Always left keys in the ash trays, for the tank truck driver to be able to access the fill spouts in case a load should arrive after closing time.
Even back then this sort of theft was somewhat common. He had been hit for a loss of a couple hundred gallons even way back then.
God I hate Worker’s Comp insurance – $30k claim and the rate goes up $12k a year for three or more years. I guess that means we were doing really well before the accident…
I understand. Not a good solution or situation for anyone. Good luck. Wish you the best.
You mean like car insurance where I had a $1600 claim and my insurance went up by $500 a year for the next 3 years. Oh, and my state just changed it so they can charge you extra for 5 years now.
I’d think at that point you’d be glad it’s theft, vs a 9k gallon tank leak and all the associated remediation costs.
I’m shocked it took this long for the first gas heists to take place. Looking at these prices, I expected certain ‘businessmen’ to already be trading in cheap fuel.
The “businessmen” you’re referring to are already trading in cheap fuel by buying and selling oil futures based on insider info from the white house.
Hey now, thievery is only bad when done by poor people. When it’s done by corporations and the rich and powerful, it’s the American Way (TM).