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'Sophisticated' Pickup Rigged To Steal Fuel

POSTED: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
UPDATED: 9:23 am EDT June 18, 2008

An Orlando man was taken into custody after the pickup he was driving was found to have a hidden 800-gallon tank custom-welded into the back to steal fuel, police said.


IMAGES: Hidden Tank Photos

Investigators said a gas station attendant at a Hess station located on John Young Parkway called police and said the driver of a white Ford pickup looked suspicious and lingered too long at the pump.

When officers checked the man's vehicle, they found a fuel tank professionally welded and hidden inside.

"He had an 800-gallon tank in the back of this thing and it was custom-welded," Orange County sheriff's Cmdr. Jeff Stonebreaker said. "There is some very unique equipment the way this thing is set up. It is obviously not for personal business use. It is set up for one use only, which is to steal fuel and redistribute it illegally."

The man also had a key that disabled pump meters, detectives said.

A Good Samaritan helped police capture the driver at the gas station after he attempted to flee. He was not identified.

Police said the man had such a sophisticated setup that it is doubtful he worked alone and may be part of a crime ring, Local 6's Lewis Bolden said.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

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