A New York man recently turned himself in to police after he allegedly stole 200 gallons of cooking oil from a Connecticut restaurant.
Jonathan Garces stole cooking oil from a local restaurant in the early morning hours of Nov. 17, 2022, according to a criminal information summary sent to the Daily Caller from the Wilton Police Department. Garces came into department headquarters and turned himself in on an active arrest warrant April 18, the document reads.
Garces is charged with larceny in the sixth degree and conspiracy to commit larceny in the sixth degree, according to police. He was released after posting $25,000 bond through a bail bond service, and he is set to appear at Stamford Superior Court on May 1. (RELATED: High Value Container With $20 Million Worth Of Contents Stolen From Toronto Airport)
There have been multiple arrests for similar crimes throughout April. Used cooking oil can be recycled to make diesel fuel, according to Insider, and thieves are breaking into dumpsters and restaurants to steal the oil and resell it for profit.
Buffalo Biodiesel, Inc. in Western New York tweeted about a reported theft, arguing the incident hurt local restaurants and the community. “These guys are making $1,500 a day,” Sumit Majumdar told The Wall Street Journal. “It’s more lucrative than crack.”
On April 15, in Saugerties, NY our supplier at Zicatela’s had an #oiltheft from the vat where they recycle their used cooking oil. #Theft hurts the community & your local restaurants as we #pay for their oil. @buffbiodiesel @CleggforDA @NewYorkStateAG @ABC7NY @DailyFreeman pic.twitter.com/X7SRdHgqC4
— Buffalo Biodiesel, Inc. (@buffbiodiesel) April 19, 2023
Cooking oil has recently gained the nickname “liquid gold,” PIX11 reported in early April.
“A thirty-gallon container of oil is worth $150,” John Jay College of Criminal Justice associate professor Christopher Herrmann told the outlet.
The National Renderers Association estimated in 2019 that up to $75 million worth of cooking oil is stolen each year.