A semi-truck driver accused of using a heavy-duty magnet to override a gas pump and steal fuel has been arrested at a local 7-Eleven.
Yoel Espinosa Rosario, 25, of Naples, was arrested early Saturday morning following the discovery of the elaborate theft device at the convenience store on County Road 470 in Sumterville.
According to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was conducting an extra patrol at the 7-Eleven at about 12:09 a.m. when he spotted a semi-truck and trailer matching the description of a vehicle believed to have stolen fuel from that exact location in the past.
The deputy found Rosario standing by the rig with nozzles actively pumping fuel into both the driver and passenger side 120-gallon tanks. When questioned, Rosario produced a receipt and claimed he had only pumped $300 worth of fuel into the driver’s side tank. A store employee confirmed Rosario had only paid $300 and noted that the passenger side pump was not even supposed to be operational.
When the deputy took a closer look at the passenger side pump, he discovered the screen was covered in black tape to hide the transaction. A missing dust cover below the screen revealed a 2-inch gap containing a blue microfiber towel. When the deputy moved the towel, he found a heavy-duty magnet placed directly on the solenoid valve — a trick designed to override the pump and allow the fuel to flow for free.
During a subsequent inventory of Rosario’s truck, deputies found multiple freshly cut blue microfiber towels matching the exact one used to conceal the magnet at the rigged pump.
The exact amount of stolen fuel is still being calculated by the 7-Eleven corporate office.
The native of Cuba was ultimately arrested on three felony counts, including retail fuel theft, breaching a retail dispenser and tampering with a retail dispenser. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $12,500 bond.