A federal grand jury has indicted six individuals for their involvement in a scheme to steal and sell used cooking oil, which can be refined into biodiesel fuel. U.S.
Attorney Trini E. Ross announced the charges, which include conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods across state lines, an offense carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Guodeng Chen, Didi Huang, and Fangfang Yan, all from Pittsford, NY, along with Ruimao Yang, Yan Han, and Wen Xiao Zhang, all from New York, NY, were charged. In addition to conspiracy, Chen, Huang, and Yan face charges of transporting and selling stolen goods in interstate commerce, which carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Details of the Scheme
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire stated that the defendants orchestrated a series of thefts targeting used cooking oil from restaurants in and around Monroe County. This oil, valued at $4 to $5 per gallon when refined into biodiesel fuel, was stolen from collection tanks outside the restaurants.
Yang, Han, and Zhang allegedly drove trucks to the locations, where Zhang would siphon the oil. The stolen product was then delivered to a warehouse managed by Chen, Huang, and Yan. Han worked in the warehouse, assisting in the storage and handling of the oil.
The defendants reportedly sold the stolen oil to a broker, who facilitated its transportation across state lines to a Pennsylvania refinery. On two occasions in April 2022, approximately 45,000 pounds of stolen oil were shipped from the Western District of New York to Erie, Pennsylvania. Each shipment earned the group over $5,000.
Investigation and Charges
The investigation, led by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, uncovered the operation. The agencies are under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and Acting Executive Special Agent-in-Charge Harry Chavis, respectively.
The charges against the defendants are accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, they face significant prison time for their involvement in the theft and trafficking of stolen goods
