BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — A Florida couple allegedly stole hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel from a 7-Eleven gas station, officials say.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release, that deputies were called out to a 7-Eleven gas station after reports of some suspicious activity at one of the pumps.
When deputies arrived at the gas station, an employee and asset protection confirmed that they saw a tractor-trailer at the pump buy 15 gallons of fuel but later learned that they actually pumped 200 gallons, according to WBBH.
Soon after, a black pickup truck arrived at the same pump, paid for six gallons of fuel and actually pumped about 150 gallons. Afterward, a silver truck arrived at the gas station, went to the same pump, paid for six gallons of fuel and actually pumped 98 gallons of fuel, according to WBBH.
LCSO said deputies allegedly saw Edson Escalona, 35, and Tanilexis Tortolo, 43, at a pump putting fuel into an external fuel tank.
“This couple thought they could travel to Lee County and steal hundreds of gallons of fuel,” said LCSO Sheriff Carmine Marceno in a news release. “On average, fuel is $4.05 per gallon and businesses cannot afford to suffer this loss. They picked the wrong county and paid us a visit at the Marceno Motel.”
According to WFTX, the South District Criminal Investigations Division detectives determined after arriving on the scene that Edson and Tortolo were allegedly working together to “manipulate the pump.”
LCSO said both Edson and Tortolo have been charged with obtaining fuel by fraudulent means.