‘Large-scale fuel theft,’ Florida man used stolen credit cards and modified VW to steal diesel
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office put an end to an “ongoing fraud operation” when it arrested 36-year-old Rafael Cruz-Arencibia. He’d been nabbing 85 gallons of diesel fuel at a time, thanks to a counterfeit card and a modified Volkswagen Jetta.
Cruz-Arencibia had not only stolen banking information—he managed to re-encode gift cards. Then he swiped these counterfeit credit cards at fuel pumps. But Cruz-Arencibia knew he wouldn’t get away with many transactions and wasn’t satisfied with just one tank of gas. The only problem is that stockpiling fuel in a bunch of containers might attract attention.
According to Corporal Michael Terry, the department arrested Cruz-Arencibia. Then detectives executed a search warrant on his 2006 Volkswagen Jetta to see how he’d been pulling off such “large-scale fuel theft.”
The 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, Modified to Steal Fuel
Cpl. Terry explained, “During the search, detectives located counterfeit credit cards and uncovered a concealed, permanently installed fuel tank in the vehicle’s trunk capable of holding nearly 70 gallons of fuel.” But that’s not all.
Cruz-Arencibia knew that if he was quick about it, popping the trunk and filling the second tank would be possible without swiping his card twice. But the move might attract attention. So he plumbed the two tanks together.
“Using a selector switch, Cruz-Arencibia could discreetly transfer fuel from the factory tank to the concealed tank without removing the nozzle, enabling him to draw large quantities of fuel without attracting attention.” By filling the 14.5-gallon factory tank and 70-gallon auxiliary tank, Cruz-Arencibia could pump $280 in diesel with a single swipe of his counterfeit card.
If you follow “Florida man” stories, this arrest may give you déjà vu. In April 2025, Florida authorities charged Osney Gutierrez Hernandez with fuel theft. Investigators say he found a way to “manipulate the pump to continue dispensing fuel without incurring the appropriate charges.” He also installed an extra 150-gallon tank in his truck to steal $2,600 in fuel across multiple visits to 7-Eleven.
