New Yorkers Charged With Stealing Used Cooking Oil From Cranston Restaurant: Cops

CRANSTON, RI — Two New Yorkers were arrested and charged with stealing used cooking oil from a Cranston restaurant, police said.

Steven Velez Toribio, 29, and Anyeson Veras Martinez, 26, were nabbed as they were pulling away from PJ's Pub on Pontiac Avenue shortly before 2:30 a.m., the Cranston Police Department said in a media release.

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The 2018 Ford Transit van the two men from the Bronx were riding in "had previously been associated with cooking-oil thefts in the area," the release said.

During the traffic stop, officers "found evidence consistent with the theft of cooking oil, including a strong odor and oil residue on the occupants and inside the vehicle, two large containers, and a hose and pumping system," according to the release.

"Investigators determined that approximately 100 gallons of used cooking oil, valued at approximately $200, had been taken from PJ's Pub," the release said. "The restaurant's security video showed the white Ford Transit backing up to the restaurant's used-oil container shortly before leaving the property."

Velez Toribio and Veras Martinez were charged with larceny under $1,500 and conspiracy, according to the release.

"The theft of used cooking oil is not a new problem for restaurants in Cranston and throughout Rhode Island," the release said. "Cranston has experienced similar incidents in the past, including cases involving individuals traveling from outside Rhode Island to target restaurants overnight."

Used cooking oil "can be collected and processed into products including biofuel and animal feed," according to the release.

"Restaurants are particularly vulnerable because they typically store used cooking oil outside the business in large containers or tanks, where it can be accessed after the restaurant closes," the release said. "In past cases, thieves have used vehicles equipped with pumps, hoses, and storage containers to remove large quantities of oil quickly overnight."

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