A man faces charges in connection to a fuel heist at a Delaware gas station earlier this week, stealing over $1,700 worth of fuel, police said.
Delaware State Police responded to a report of fuel theft at a Wawa in New Castle on Tuesday afternoon.
Troopers approached the 34-year-old New Jersey man, who had his white van stationed at a pump with a device attached to it.
The device manipulates the pump to dispense a large volume of fuel for a fraction of the cost, according to Delaware State Police. Authorities inspected the device before ultimately seizing it.
Investigators also found multiple containers filled with fuel in the man’s vehicle, which he had paid less than $20 for.
The man was arrested on scene. He faces multiple charges, including shoplifting, possession of burglar tools or instruments involving disabling security systems and conspiracy.
Troopers learned that multiple Wawa gas stations in the area have had issues with fuel theft recently as a result of the investigation, stating that Wawa Loss Prevention Services told investigators “they had been experiencing a trend of diesel fuel thefts in which suspects install the device” on pumps.