BRASELTON, Ga.,None — Channel 2 Action News has learned that an unusual crime is starting to become a trend -- thieves stealing used cooking oil from restaurants.
Thieves Steal Cooking Oil From Gwinnett Restaurants
"I guess it's a pretty easy way to do it," said Cliff Wright, manager of Jack's Old South BBQ in Braselton. His restaurant was hit.
"You just come around at night and just pump it out and move on the next," he said.
Police said that is exactly what's happening, and that the crime is growing because the used cooking oil is stored in outdoor containers and can be sold to recyclers who turn it into biodiesel fuel.
It can bring in hundreds of dollars, depending on the amount, police said.
"I was not even aware that such a market existed," said Braselton Police Detective Sgt. JD Gille, after reporter Channel 2's Manuel Bojorquez inquired about the unusual crimes.
Gille said he first heard of a case in Braselton in January, and since then, has found 13 other cases there, as well as cases in Banks, Barrow, Hall, Jackson and Gwinnett counties.
Channel 2 Action News obtained surveillance video from a Winder restaurant, which shows two people in a pickup truck rigged with a tank and hose, in the middle of the night.
"When we look at that video from the Winder location, looks like it takes maybe five or 10 minutes," he said, of how quickly the used oil is pumped out of a container.
Gille said he also found a detailed logbook inside the truck seen in the surveillance video, which shows dates and which restaurants were hit.
So far, police have arrested Jason Nicholas Dehart, 30, and Jessica Edgar, 19, of Winder.
Detectives say the investigation continues.