Grease bandits expand to Washington state; waste oil thieves now operating in 10 states

May 13, 2008

In Washington state, Standard Biodiesel in Arlington said that “there’s some piracy going on” as grease bandits have moved into the Pacific Northwest. A company spokesperson told the Seattle Post Intelligencer that waste oil “is becoming quite the commodity,” Grease banditry has been reported in 10 states, with low-level organized crime moving into a field that steals grease valued at as much as $2.00 per gallon from restaurant disposal areas.

Grease thieves continue to appear in the news, interrupting the biodiesel supply chain in the US,
prompting a feature story in the Christian Science Monitor on cases in
Kentucky, Taxes, Florida, Missouri, California and Arkansas. Theft
ranges from petty operations by home brewers to truck-based efforts
yielding up to $6,000 in stolen grease in Texas, to gang-related grease
theft in Arkansas.

Texas attorney Jon Jaworski, a self styled “grease lawyer” has
defended more than 150 clients, and lost only one court case, said that
“Juries are amazed by the time and effort put in to try to convict
people for stealing stuff that is rancid”, although grease now sells
for $0.32 per pound, up from $0.12 per pound in 2006.

In Nevada earlier this year, a 49-year old man was arrested for stealing grease from a Burger King grease trap, intending to convert the grease into biodiesel.
Burger King has a collection contract with San Jose Tallow, who
contacted police when they saw the man transferring grease from the
restaurants trap to a 5,000 gallon tank car. The theft is the latest in
a spate of crime among “grease thieves”, attributed to the rising cost
of biodiesel fuel and the corresponding rise in the value of grease as
a feedstock.

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In California, new reports of rampant grease theft have surfaced from Sacramento to the Oregon border. North State Rendering, which collects restaurant grease, say that grease thieves in northern Cali...

Grease theft roils Oregon biodiesel industry; up to 40 percent stolen, renderer says

In Oregon, grease theft is threatening the stability of the Oregon biodiesel industry. Grease collector Eugene Chemical and Rendering Works told Oregon Live that as much as 40 percent of their grease ...

North Carolina grease thieves now stealing up to 175,000 pounds per week from Valley Proteins

In North Carolina, Valley Proteins in Gastonia said that grease thives are stealing up to 175,000 pounds of grease per week. This translates to an estimated 1 Mgy of pirated biodiesel in the regional ...

Grease theft proliferates as grease prices rise 250 percent; cases across the country, signs of organized crime

Grease thief apprehended in Nevada as biodiesel feedstock crime wave spreads

In Nevada, a 49-year old man was arrested for stealing grease from a Burger King grease trap, intending to convert the grease into biodiesel reportedly to convert into biodiesel fuel. Burger King has...

California “grease war” breaks out: recycler arrested on theft after siphoning from rival’s tank

In California, a driver from Waste Oil Recycling in Redding, discovered siphoning grease from a North State Rendering holding tank, was charged with petty theft. The driver said that he was "doing his...

Written by Jim Lane · Filed Under Producer News