A federal grand jury has indicted six New York men for stealing used cooking oil and sending it to Erie, according to the U.S. Department of Justice last week.
The indictment charges Guodeng Chen, Didi Huang, and Fangfang Yan, all from Pittsford, N.Y., along with Ruimao Yang, Yan Han, and Wen Xiao Zhang, all from New York City, with conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods across state lines. Chen, Huang, and Yan also face charges for transporting and selling stolen goods in interstate commerce.
The six are accused of conspiring to steal used cooking oil, which can be processed into biodiesel fuel and resold for $4 to $5 per gallon, from various restaurants in and around Monroe County, N.Y.
Yang, Han, and Zhang are said to have driven trucks to restaurants, where Zhang stole used cooking oil from outdoor collection tanks. They then allegedly delivered the stolen oil to Chen, Huang, and Yan at a warehouse. Han is accused of working in the warehouse, helping collect and store the stolen oil, according to investigators.
Chen, Huang, and Yan allegedly sold the stolen oil to a broker, which was then transported across state lines to a refinery in Pennsylvania, as stated in the indictment.
In April 2022, Chen, Huang, and Yan are accused of having 45,000 pounds of stolen used cooking oil shipped from western New York to Erie, Pa., for which they received more than $5,000. Later that month, they allegedly arranged for another 45,000 pounds of stolen oil to be shipped to Erie, again earning more than $5,000 for the shipment, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the conspiracy charge could result in a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The charge for transporting and selling stolen goods in interstate commerce carries a maximum sentence of 10 years behind bars.
