Authorities Crack Down on Multiple Diesel Fuel Theft Rings

Portable diesel-powered pump and long black hoses discovered in back of truck during diesel theft investigation. (Riverside County, Calif., Sheriff's Office)

Multiple individuals face diesel theft-related criminal charges for their alleged roles in separate crime rings in New Jersey, Florida and California.

In New Jersey, Joseph “Joe” Jenkins-Ridley, 48, is scheduled to appear May 19 before an Atlantic County Superior Court judge after being indicted March 10.

Jenkins-Ridley, of Mays Landing, N.J., faces four second-degree charges, including official misconduct, theft and conspiracy, for allegedly “orchestrating and leading a large-scale diesel-fuel theft operation,” the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Investigators allege Jenkins-Ridley used his position as a county public works supervisor “to gain access to the Atlantic County fuel pumps to fuel trucks that he owns in connection with his private business, Z5 Logistics,” according to the office. He pleaded not guilty after being arraigned April 20.

New Jersey diesel theft indictment

Prosecutors contend that since March 2023, Jenkins-Ridley “directed his employees at Z5 to fuel the trucks almost daily at the county fuel pumps,” resulting in fuel theft totaling just under $80,000.

Z5Logistics is listed by the U.S. Department of Transportation as an active general freight carrier with two power units. Its registered address in Mays Landing appears to be a condominium, according to online real estate listings.

The alleged theft came to light in May 2025 after Atlantic County Department of Public Works employees reported irregularities in diesel fuel logs.

Jenkins-Ridley allegedly provided his business employees with a county-issued code “to obtain diesel fuel from Atlantic County gas pumps,” the prosecutor’s office said.

Florida

Meanwhile, in Florida, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced the arrests of a trucking company owner and driver suspected of participating in an organized fuel theft operation.

Investigators with the state Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement intercepted a white-and-blue 2002 Freightliner semi-truck on Interstate 10 in Walton County that was linked to the alleged theft ring, Simpson said.

Simpson said OALE investigators located the vehicle and assisted with a traffic stop.

“The driver, Leonexi Rodriguez, was found to have active warrants out of Sarasota County. During a safety sweep of the truck, the registered owner, Alain De Jesus Aguila Martinez, wanted on multiple warrants in Walton County, was discovered hiding in the sleeper compartment and taken into custody,” Simpson said.

Florida state records list Aguila Martinez as the active registered agent of Clau Transport. USDOT records show the company as an active interstate general freight carrier with one power unit.

Both men were booked into the Walton County Jail on outstanding warrants that included felony charges of organized fraud, retail fuel theft and grand theft, Simpson said.

Rodriguez, 46, of Miami Gardens, remained jailed as of April 29. Aguila Martinez, 26, of DeFuniak Springs, posted $10,000 bail and is awaiting trial on two counts each of grand theft under $5,000, unauthorized access to a retail fuel dispenser and fraud involving property valued at less than $20,000.

In a separate Florida case, OALE investigators charged four men in a suspected organized diesel fuel theft scheme in Santa Rosa County.

According to OALE, surveillance footage and witness reports showed the suspects allegedly “used magnets to manipulate fuel pump solenoids by opening pump panels, allowing fuel to be dispensed without payment.”

Video footage showed the suspects allegedly “tampering with a fuel pump and filling multiple semi-truck tanks.” Investigators later linked the suspects to the crimes through license plate data, prior citations and business records, OALE said.

The suspects — Sediel Carrazana, Sofiel Ferino, Sergio Machin and Elieser Perez — allegedly coordinated the operation, resulting in multiple felony charges, including organized fraud, grand theft and retail fuel theft.

California

In Southern California, Riverside County Sheriff’s investigators arrested Steven Anthony Bailey, 40, and Brian Briseno Mena, 27, following an investigation into diesel fuel thefts at multiple locations, Sgt. Robert Martinez said.

Deputies became aware of the theft ring in May 2025 after responding to a report of stolen diesel fuel from a business in Mecca, where they found an abandoned vehicle believed to have been left by fleeing suspects.

The investigation uncovered manipulated diesel fuel pumps and modified vehicles used to conceal and transport stolen fuel. Authorities said 463 gallons of diesel worth about $2,100 had been taken.

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Box truck discovered at the scene of alleged diesel theft in California. (Riverside County, Calif., Sheriff's Office)

A similar theft occurred March 11, 2026, in Coachella, where investigators said 9,000 gallons of diesel valued at $63,000 were stolen.

Search warrants executed at multiple sites in Riverside and San Bernardino counties yielded “evidence consistent with the diesel fuel theft operations,” including vehicle modifications, investigators said.

Bailey was booked into the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center on charges including grand theft, theft of fuel, conspiracy and organized retail theft. Mena was booked on a felony warrant for fuel theft.

“Stolen fuel directly impacts local businesses, transportation services and the broader community. Fuel costs already place a burden on residents and operators, and theft only drives those costs higher through increased prices, service disruptions and additional security expenses,” Martinez said. “Fuel theft can also pose safety and environmental risks. Improper handling may result in spills, fire hazards, and damage to vehicles and infrastructure.”

The sheriff’s office was assisted in the investigation by 11 law enforcement agencies, teams and task forces.