Van Loaded With 300 Gallons Stolen Fuel Stopped By Police

OAK CREEK, WI — Authorities in Wisconsin say a minivan was laden with leaky plastic drums filled with 300 gallons of stolen gas, was stopped in Oak Creek before they could transport their stolen fuel back to Illinois, or before the fuel accidentally ignited.

Authorities said Monday that Oak Creek police requested the help of a Wisconsin State Patrol motor carrier inspector after police spotted potential hazardous materials situation.

The Wisconsin State Patrol says that a Dodge Caravan, with the rear seats removed, was loaded with about 300 gallons of stolen fuel. The fuel was being loaded into 15 gallon plastic drums, which were leaking inside the vehicle.

Authorities say the inspector called the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and a hazardous materials crew for clean-up and disposal.

Officials said the fuel, which would have cost about $700 on Feb. 24, was stolen from several gas stations from across Wisconsin by people who traveled north from Chicago to use stolen credit cards.

Stolen Gas Case In Waukesha Avoided Peril

It's not the first time local authorities had to deal with a potentially dangerous gas theft case.

In early December, police in Waukesha arrested two people implicated in a gas theft ring after a fire broke out at the Waukesha Kwik Trip where they were trying to steal gas.

At the time, authorities said Devoncia Syas, 19, and Nakia Barnes, 27, both of Chicago, were lucky they didn't cause a sizable explosion. According to Waukesha police call logs, officers responded to the Kwik Trip gas station at 924 Fleetfoot drive at just after 5 p.m. on Nov. 9 on a report of a fire at one of the gas pumps.

Call logs stated that Syas and Barnes were filling up 55-gallon drums of gasoline in the cabin of a conversion van when a fire started at the pump. When authorities arrived, they could see flames showing outside the pump.

Police say the fire was quickly put out, but that one of the two had "significant" burns.

Police say both Syas and Barnes used fraudulent credit cards to obtain a total of 192 gallons of gas, which had been pumped into several 55-gallon drums that were loaded inside the van. At today's prices, the value of that gas would be about $450.

Police said Syas and Barnes are part of a ring responsible for over 90 documented gas theft cases in southeastern Wisconsin alone.

"They are extremely lucky the gas inside didn't catch fire either as it would have caused a significant and devastating explosion which would have leveled the Kwik Trip Store," Waukesha police said in a statement to Patch.

According to court records, Syas did not appear for her Feb. 3 hearing in Wisconsin court. Her next appearance is March 2 at 2:30 p.m. for her plea/sentencing hearing.

Barnes pleaded no contest to identity theft on Feb. 17. He's due back in court. He was sentenced to three years probation.