Five people have been arrested after Texas authorities dismantled an organized crime ring accused of stealing millions of dollars in diesel fuel from truck stops across North Texas.
The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center said Tuesday the suspects used payment card skimmers installed on high-flow diesel pumps to capture card information and create fraudulent payment cards.
The investigation began in April after Garland police received reports of stolen fuel and compromised card numbers. Authorities estimate the group stole between 1,500 and 2,500 gallons of diesel on as many as six nights a week, resulting in roughly $10 million in losses.
Search warrants executed Friday in Irving and Arlington led to the seizure of 10 skimmers, 50 altered payment cards and equipment allegedly used to encode stolen card data. The five suspects — one Mexican national and four Cuban nationals — face first-degree felony charges of engaging in organized criminal activity.
