http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/minivan-gas-thief-caught-654321 (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/minivan-gas-thief-caught-654321)
SEPTEMBER 8--Driving a minivan outfitted with a generator-powered vacuum system, a Florida man yesterday surreptitiously siphoned 250 gallons of gasoline from a Citgo outlet before the station's owner became suspicious and called cops.
When Broward County sheriff's deputies arrived at the Oakland Park gas station, they arrested Yoenis Cristo Banos, 28, on a felony grand theft charge.
A search of Banos's Dodge Grand Caravan revealed that the vehicle's rear seats were removed and replaced with three huge plastic tanks and a generator used to power the illegal siphoning system. One of the plastic drums held 255 gallons of diesel fuel, valued at $1019.75, according to a sheriff's report.
As seen above, one police evidence photo shows two of the hidden tanks, while another image shows the third tank at the rear of the van. The entire van can be seen in a third image.
Banos, pictured in the mug shot at left, allegedly parked the van above a compartment leading to the underground vaults storing the Citgo station's fuel supplies. He then somehow dropped hoses into the reservoir and began sucking up the gasoline into the van's plastic tanks.
When Broward County Sheriff's Office deputies discovered the large amount of gasoline inside the van, a hazardous materials team was called to the station to remove the diesel fuel.
After being booked on the grand theft charge, Banos was freed from custody after posting $1000 bond. It is unclear what the unemployed Hialeah resident planned to do with the stolen gas.(1 pages)
Gasoline or diesel?
Perhaps he has developed a new process which converts it back into WVO or WMO.
At $3.999 per gallon that's still cheaper than my local Chevron, where the diesel recently jumped up from $4.09 to $4.25 in one day (no doubt because of the situation in Libya, or Nigeria, or somewhere).
John
Well over 2000 pounds in the back of a mini van, not sure how far he would have gotten anyway.
I find it a bit hard to believe that a mini van would hold a 255 gal tank plus two other tanks and a generator. A 255 gallon tank would be roughly the size of 5 fifty five gallon barrels. ???????
Now I dont know any spanish, BUT in walmart the spanish capital of the us, The sign above the restroom in spanish is Banos, Maybe this guy was just getting the sh--ts of paying those high prices, .... Sorry I couldnt help it.............
looking at the pictures, that is indeed a 275 gallon tank in the rear of that minivan. :o
that thing must have had some beefed up springs. probably put a moon shiner to shame. :D