Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that investigators with his Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement arrested Yaders Hernandez Angel, 33, of Tampa for filling an unlawful “bladder truck” with fuel illegally purchased with counterfeit credit cards. A “bladder truck” is a vehicle that has been retrofitted with hidden tanks that hold high volumes of fuel.
Law enforcement officers were preforming surveillance at gas stations in Hillsborough County and observed Hernandez Angel pumping fuel into a vehicle equipped with an unlawful tank in plain view. Investigators recovered 10 counterfeit credit cards from Hernandez Angel’s possession, two of which were used to illegally purchase 95 gallons of fuel.
Hernandez Angel was charged with unlawful conveyance of fuel, which is a third degree felony; two counts of fraudulently obtaining fuel, which is a second degree felony; and possession of 10 counterfeit credit cards, which is a second degree felony. Hernandez Angel was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail.
The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement protects Florida’s agriculture and consumers through law enforcement in support of all the regulatory aspects of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. For more information, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.