# Man gets 50 years in prison for stealing diesel - am I missing something? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 24, 2024, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741 "2024-07-24T15:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741/21 "2024-07-29T07:21:48Z")
Maybe, but it still seems odd for the theft of several thousand gallons of diesel to be given a sentence that is almost tantamount to what one gets for murder. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741/22 "2024-07-29T09:01:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If the people arrested are even the entire ring. There might be someone else who’s getting off completely. > [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > If he diverted “thousands” of gallons of fuel, it’s likely he was selling it on the side, or at least the judge thought so when he was considering the sentence. From the link: > [@](#): > > The East Texas diesel theft ring reportedly acquired 9,312 gallons of diesel fuel in 2022. At 20 miles per gallon, they stole enough to drive more than 180,000 miles in just one year. If it was just three people, that’s 60,000 miles each. Not impossible, but that’s a lot of driving. Makes me think that there were more people involved, or they were selling what they stole. I don’t know that that justifies the sentence, but could be part of the context. I wonder how they did it. 9,312 gallons is a lot of trips to the station. My dad had a full-size pickup some years ago that had auxiliary tanks in the bed; I assume they had something similar. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741/23 "2024-07-29T17:22:35Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Maybe, but it still seems odd for the theft of several thousand gallons of diesel to be given a sentence that is almost tantamount to what one gets for murder. Just as a reminder, said person according to the reporting to date didn’t try to plea down, go for a lesser charge, or anything else. And again, as (theoretically) the boss / organizer / conspirator-in-chief of the business. So yeah, I agree, seems excessive for the crime (see my complaint upthread about a far worse thief who got off with far less time), but I’m sure TX is happy to “make an example of” someone who isn’t even attempting much of a defense. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741/24 "2024-07-29T18:09:21Z")
From the article, he didn’t just steal fuel. - He was part of an organized group that committed the thefts - He used stolen credit and debit cards to do the theft - It seemed likely that he sold the fuel on the side, which may be illegal too I imagine all of these things bump up the sentencing guidelines. And, as noted, he didn’t try to plea down before entering his guilty plea. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741/25 "2024-07-29T20:55:01Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > He tapped into a gas well to supply his cabin with gas. > > I’m sure he was incredibly embarrassed by the news coverage, but his punishment did not include jail time! See, that was for personal use. Steal a loaf of bread to feed your family, and cops, prosecutors and Judges are lenient. Start up a shoplifting ring, and then sell that stuff- and it gets different. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741/26 "2024-07-29T22:39:46Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Just as a reminder, said person according to the reporting to date didn’t try to plea down, go for a lesser charge, or anything else This bit is huge. The guy represented himself and utterly flunked Crim Defense 101. He handed the prosecutor and judge an open goal and they both gleefully stuffed the ball right up his ass. Maybe procedural matters ought not matter so much. But they do. Not only in Reactionary Wacko Texas (but I repeat myself), but pretty much nationwide. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741/27 "2024-08-09T16:02:51Z")
And I’m just wondering if he had shipping containers or storage units packed full of ammonium nitrate fertilizer… ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2024, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741/28 "2024-08-10T07:14:06Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Gonzalez was arrested alongside Ramon Perez-Torres and Camila Cruz Concepcion Might there be a clue to the sentencing decision in the names? Just asking ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2024, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741/29 "2024-08-10T08:23:06Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Might there be a clue to the sentencing decision in the names? Nope. He was just stupid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-50-years-in-prison-for-stealing-diesel-am-i-missing-something/1004741.md?page=1)