Men Caught Stealing $5K in Used Cooking Oil

Two Florida men were taken into custody and charged after allegedly stealing over 7,000 pounds (about the weight of an elephant) of used cooking oil from a restaurant.
According to the authorities, there has been a recent influx of thefts of used cooking oil around the United States. Cooking oil is considered a valuable commodity since it can be used to make many items, such as biodiesel and personal care products.
Just after 3:00 AM on October 6, a deputy from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office was on patrol when they reportedly saw suspicious activity in the back of Woody’s Bar-B-Que restaurant in Palm Coast.
The deputy went behind the establishment and reportedly saw two men with headlamps behind a fence where the restaurant’s vat of used cooking oil is kept.
According to reports, the men were standing in front of a white truck with oil drums in the back. The men wearing the headlamps were reportedly using a pump to siphon the cooking oil from the restaurant’s vat.
When the deputy arrived, he saw that two of the drums in the truck were already full of oil, and another was being filled.
After the men were identified, it was learned that one of them owns a company that buys and recycles oil.
Both suspects were taken into custody and booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, also known as the “Green Roof Inn.” They are each facing charges for suspicion of two felony counts of burglary of an unoccupied structure and possession of burglary tools with intent, and misdemeanor petit theft.
Each of the suspects is being held in lieu of $5,500 bonds.
The value of the oil allegedly pilfered by the men was estimated at $5,000.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.