4 Florida Men Allegedly Install 'Pulsators' In Gas Stations To Get Fuel For Pennies

Four men were busted in Florida for allegedly hacking gas stations to get fuel for pennies. The suspects allegedly installed sophisticated "pulsators" in gas stations that regulated the fuel price and fuel flow, allowing them to fill up almost for free, officials said.

Investigators arrested the suspects while they allegedly carried out their schemes at two Circle K gas stations in Lutz and Lakeland on separate instances.

Yulier Garcia-Martinez and Rogelio Llarena, of Orlando, were apprehended at the Lakeland location on March 12 while they were filling up an oversized tank. Garcia-Martinez allegedly had a remote controlling device for manipulating the pulsator, officials said, as per the New York Post.

Yordan Diaz Benitez, of Tampa, was taken into custody at the Lutz location on March 10 for stealing diesel fuel. Marlon Rosel-Rodriguez was busted after two days as he was trying to put the device in a pump at the same gas station, the outlet reported.

Meanwhile, Ned Bowman, president of the Florida Department of Agriculture, described the suspects as part of "criminal rings" and said they are expecting these crimes to "expand" with fuel prices averaging around $5 per gallon in Florida.

Bowman told the outlet that the suspects operated by changing the pulsator inside the gas pumps that regulate the flow of the fuel. The gang then allegedly filled up their oversized truck tanks with the fuel that they got for pennies and sold them outside for huge profit.

"They're able to change the price of the fuel down to a nickel or a penny to the gallon and fill the back of their trucks up — their bladders or spare tanks — with fuel that's basically free," Bowman said, according to KFOR.

The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) Commissioner Nikki Fried observed that such fuel thefts amid soaring gas prices can further drive up the costs for all consumers. "At FDACS, we take seriously our responsibility to protect Florida’s consumers and businesses from theft and fraud — with these most recent fuel theft cases encompassing both," Fried said in a news release.

Officials have issued warnings to gas stations to look out for trucks that stop at their locations for an unusually long time. Residents have also been urged to report suspicious activities by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA in English or 1-800-FL-AYUDA in Spanish.