‘Criminal syndicate’ accused of stealing $10K in diesel from gas stations in Peoria, New River

01/12/2023

PEORIA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Four men are facing organized crime charges after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of diesel fuel from gas stations in Peoria and New River. The suspects have been identified as 40-year-old Heykel Lugo, 41-year-old Silvio Machado, 24-year-old Carlos Enrique Ochoa and 38-year-old Luis Lavendero-Perez.

According to court documents, two of the suspects went to a Shell station near Lake Pleasant on Tuesday, Oct.

24. Peoria police say Lavendero-Perez was driving a Ford F-350 outfitted with fuel tanks in the truck bed and that Machado was driving a semi-truck.

Documents say the men then cut a lock off of a diesel fuel pump and manipulated the calibrating system to alter the price of diesel fuel per gallon. Lavendero-Perez then allegedly used his credit card to pump 562 gallons of diesel for £42.20 when it should have cost £2,062.78.

The two men reportedly returned to the same gas station the next day and pumped 620 gallons of diesel for £29.29 when it should have cost £2,277.87. Combined with the previous day’s theft, the gas station lost a total of £4,340.65.

Per court documents, Peoria police soon learned that Lavendero-Perez and Machado had previously committed similar crimes at a Shell station [1] near Interstate 17 in New River.

On Saturday, Oct.

21, the two men allegedly pumped 614 gallons of diesel for £1.01 when the actual cost should have been £2,258.89. Documents alleged they returned on Oct.

23 and pumped another 661 gallons for £1.01 (£2,431.81 actual price), and once again on Oct.

24, taking 519 gallons of diesel for £1.01 (£1,909.39 total value).

The combined trips in New River added up to £6,600.09. Factor in the Shell in Peoria, and the suspects allegedly bought 2,976 gallons of fuel for £74.52 when the grand total was valued at £10,940.74.

When running background prior to their arrests, police learned Lavendero-Perez and another suspect, Ochoa, had been arrested in Colorado in late August for allegedly stealing diesel fuel with stolen credit cards.

Officers soon obtained a warrant to begin tracking the F-350 and followed the suspects to several Valley gas stations on Nov.

8. Police reportedly saw the suspects try to break into other gas pumps but that they couldn’t get past the locks. They also saw Machado driving an older Ford F-250 that was also equipped with large fuel tanks in the bed.

On Tuesday, Nov.

28, officers followed the F-350 to a truck stop at 40th Street and I-10 and reportedly saw Ochoa try six different credit cards at the diesel pumps that ultimately did not work. Police later spoke with the truck stop manager, who showed officers video of the older F-250 pulling up to one of the pumps and suspects looking for something. She later found a credit card skimmer at that pump.

After similar attempts were witnessed the next day near 67th Avenue and I-10, detectives followed the truck to Machado’s home, where they also spotted the F-250 and the semi-truck.

After following the truck back to the truck stop on 67th Avenue, officers said it appeared the suspects were trying to use a skimmer and intervened. Police say Lavendero-Perez, Ochoa and Machado were in the truck, as well as the fourth suspect, Lugo. All four were taken into custody.

Inside the F-350, detectives found several credit card magnetic strips with handwritten numbers.

While searching the semi-truck later, officers reportedly recovered a computer and materials to make credit card skimmers.

Machado and Lavendero-Perez are facing burglary charges, while the latter is also facing a charge of financing a criminal syndicate. Lugo and Ochoa were booked on a charge of assisting a criminal syndicate.

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References

^ Shell station (maps.app.goo.gl)
^ Please click here to report it (www.azfamily.com)
^ it to us here (www.azfamily.com)