A federal grand jury has indicted six men from New York for their involvement in a scheme to steal used cooking oil and ship it to Erie, Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The indictment charges Guodeng Chen, Didi Huang, and Fangfang Yan, all from Pittsford, New York, along with Ruimao Yang, Yan Han, and Wen Xiao Zhang, all from New York City, with conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods in interstate commerce. Chen, Huang, and Yan face additional charges for the transportation and sale of stolen goods.
The six defendants are accused of conspiring to steal used cooking oil from several restaurants in and around Monroe County, New York. The stolen oil, which can be refined into biodiesel fuel and resold for $4 to $5 per gallon, was taken by Yang, Han, and Zhang, who drove trucks to the restaurants. Zhang allegedly stole the oil from outdoor collection tanks, while the others assisted in its collection, storage, and distribution at a warehouse.
Chen, Huang, and Yan are accused of selling the stolen oil to a broker and having it transported across state lines to a refinery in Pennsylvania. In April 2022, the defendants allegedly shipped approximately 45,000 pounds of stolen cooking oil from western New York to Erie, where they received more than $5,000 for the shipment. Another similar shipment took place later that month, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, while the charge of transporting and selling stolen goods in interstate commerce could result in up to 10 years behind bars.
