Police Find 19 Guns at Home of Accused Diesel Fuel Thieves

Two men are charged with stealing hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel from cell phone tower generators and other sites across Anne Arundel County.

Robert Murphy, 49, and Daniel Padgett, 34, both of Colony Road in Pasadena, were arrested August 31 and charged with  theft of more than $1,000, trespassing and destruction of property. Murphy was additionally charged with scheming to steal $1,000 to $10,000, and possession of an assault pistol.

"What they're doing with the fuel, we haven't fully ascertained. It appears they could be selling it," said police spokesman Justin Mulcahy. "It's an ongoing problem in the region."

Mulcahy said there have been similar thefts in other territories. In Anne Arundel County, more than 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel have been stolen this year alone, he said, amounting to potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Authorities said they first learned of the diesel thefts from an anonymous tip. Police tracked the pair of men over several days, observing Murphy stealing 160 gallons of diesel fuel from a cell tower back-up generator owned by AT&T in Millersville on August 22, according to a report. And on August 31, detectives watched him take more than 500 gallons of fuel from a Verizon facility in Severna Park.

The men stored the fuel in huge plastic containers, police said. 

When the men's Pasadena home was searched, investigators found 19 guns, including an Intratac "Tec 9" assault pistol, which had its serial number obliterated, according to the report. Detectives seized five handguns, 10 rifles and four shotguns from the residence.

Anyone with information about the ongoing theft scheme is urged to contact Western District Detective Jonathan Hardesty at 410-222-6155. Detectives are interested in speaking with individuals or businesses that may have purchased diesel fuel from Robert Murphy or Daniel Padgett.