Two men are facing charges after authorities said they stole hundreds of gallons of fuel during multiple thefts at Miami-Dade 7-Eleven gas stations.
Evis Luis La Rosa, 34, and Reidys Martinez-Torriente, 23, were arrested Tuesday on charges including grand theft, organized fraud, obtaining fuel fraudulently, and retail fuel theft – tampering with a fuel dispenser, arrest reports said.
Miami-Dade Corrections
Miami-Dade Corrections
Evis Luis La Rosa and Reidys Martinez-Torriente
According to the reports, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office had been investigating an ongoing fuel theft scheme involving the use of vehicles with concealed bladders and the manipulating of pumps to dispense diesel fuel without making payment.
The thieves would utilize illegally modified vehicles with concealed high-capacity fuel tanks to covertly steal large quantities of fuel, often several hundred gallons at a time, using fraudulent credit card transactions or by tampering with pumps, the reports said.
The stolen fuel is then transferred into large capacity containers and fuel tankers.
Police said Martinez-Torriente and Luis La Rosa were able to steal around 962 gallons worth over $3,100 with the scheme.
On Jan. 4, Martinez-Torriente arrived at the 7-Eleven at 13695 Southwest 288th Street in a blue Sprinter van with a second man, then filled up a bladder in the van with 201 gallons of diesel worth $683.40 without paying, the reports said.
A short time later, Luis La Rosa arrived in a Dodge Ram 2500 and filled multiple bladders in the truck bed with 150 gallons of diesel worth $510.40 without paying, the reports said.
On Jan. 5, the Sprinter van arrived at the 7-Eleven at 25 South Homestead Boulevard where Martinez-Torriente got out and filled up a bladder with 179 gallons of diesel worth $590.70 without paying, the reports said.
A short time later, the Dodge Ram arrived and Luis La Rosa filled up bladders with 202 gallons of diesel fuel worth $666.60 without paying, the reports said.
On Jan. 6, Luis La Rosa and Martinez-Torriente returned to the 7-Eleven on Homestead Boulevard in the Dodge Ram, and Luis La Rosa began filling the bladders as Martinez-Torriente acted as a lookout, the reports said.
The pair stole around 200 gallons of diesel worth $660 but employees discovered the theft and called police, and officers responded and took them into custody, the reports said.
At the gas station, a detective found a strong magnet on the interior of a gas pump, a technique commonly used by fuel theft suspects to manipulate pumps and allow fuel to dispense without payment, the reports said.
In addition, both men had cash on them totaling around $1,500, the reports said.
Luis La Rosa and Martinez-Torriente were arrested and booked into jail.