Deonelky Tabares Cid, 36, of Tampa, has pleaded guilty to a number of crimes stemming from a complicated scheme involving gas pump skimmers, counterfeit credit cards, and large-scale diesel fuel theft throughout Alabama, Louisiana, and Northern Florida.
Cid and his collaborators targeted gas stations in these states, putting skimmers on pumps to collect credit and debit card information from unsuspecting customers. Cid and his collaborators used this stolen information to create counterfeit cards, which they then used to make fraudulent purchases of diesel fuel.
The Mechanics of the Heist
The conspirators modified their vehicles to accommodate a secret fuel bladder system. This allowed them to seem to pump fuel into their gas tanks while discreetly channeling stolen petroleum into disguised bladders. One of the conspirators then loaded the stolen fuel into tanker trucks at a fuel yard and sold it to a petrol station.
Sentencing and Co-Defendants
Cid faces significant jail time for his offenses, including a mandatory minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft and the possibility of decades more on conspiracy, wire fraud, and access device fraud charges. His sentence date has yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, Cid’s suspected accomplices in crime, Luis Edel Trujillo Pena, Deyvis Hernandez, Luis Ernesto Vigil Ochoa, and Isvaldo Guerra Perdomo, are set to face trial in January 2025.
Extensive Investigation
This case was investigated by multiple agencies, including the FBI, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the United States General Services Administration, and the United States Secret Service. Kevin C. Frein, an assistant United States Attorney, is prosecuting the case.
