Florida Men Turn To 'Hacking' Fuel Pumps To Bring Down Gas Prices

Gas prices in the United States are on the upswing, bringing up inflation with it and leaving more Americans stressed at the pump. The hike in gas prices can also lead to new incentive to break the law.

Last week, seven Florida men were arrested in Polk and Pasco counties after they were identified as part of a ring that was illegally manipulating gas prices at the pump. In a feat of criminal ingenuity, the men pulled off this stunt by “hacking” the stations to bring prices down to only pennies.

According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, the group relied on counterfeit credit cards, card skimmer and devices that altered the flow of gas from the pump. To pull off their scheme, they funneled the gas from stations into modified trucks that had expanded gasoline bladders that could hold as much as 300 gallons of stolen fuel.

In total, it is believed that close to 3,000 gallons was siphoned between two Florida counties. Ned Bowman, the President of the Florida Petroleum Marketers Association, remarked to a local media outlet that the operation itself was fairly sophisticated.

“They go in and they change the pulsator. The pulsator is the device that is inside the gas pump that regulates the flow of the fuel,” Bowman told local media.

The members of the ring have been identified as Alfredo Quintana Marrero, Jose Luis Hernandez Verano, Alfredo Quintana Marrero, Leonardo Valdés Cordero Yordian Diaz-Benitez, Marlon Rosel-Rodriguez and Jesus Valdes Cordero.

The price of gas has been rising nationwide in recent weeks in part as a consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to the American Automobile Association, the national average gas price is $4.24, but it is slightly lower in Florida where it is about $4.14 per gallon.

Florida's Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said that law enforcement would crackdown on any attempts to manipulate the prices at the pump.

“Whether individuals are trying to steal fuel like in these situations or credit card data with skimmers, know that our department will continue to crackdown on crimes at our gas pumps," said Fried, who is running as a Democrat in the Florida gubernatorial race.