LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has announced the arrest of two Oakland County men for stealing more than 20,000 gallons of gasoline from a Novi, Mich., fuel company and selling it to gas stations throughout metropolitan Detroit.
The arrests are expected to be the first in an ongoing joint investigation with the Novi Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that may involve hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen gasoline from metropolitan Detroit fuel companies.
Corporate victims of [image-nocss] crime suffer just as individuals do, said Cox. At a time when Michigan's business owners are struggling with difficult economic times, it is especially important that we prosecute those who steal from them and seek restitution.
On Wednesday, Novi Police Department officers arrested William Shannon Cox, 39, at his Waterford home and Michael Omar Malone, 34, of Clarkston turned himself in to police in Novi. Both were arraigned Wednesday afternoon by Judge Dennis Powers in Novi's 52-1 District Court on one count each of false pretenses $20,000 or more and conspiracy to commit false pretenses $20,000 or more, both of which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. In addition, both may be fined $15,000 or three times the value of the property involved, whichever is greater. Judge Powers set both defendants' bond at $250,000 cash/surety and they will be back in court September 21 for a preliminary examination.
The charges arise out of the Novi Police-FBI joint investigation, which was referred to the AG's Criminal Division for prosecution in August 2005.
Allegedly, William Cox, a truck driver, and Malone, a dispatcher, stole the personal identification number (PIN) of another commercial fuel driver employed by SJC Transport of Commerce Township. The defendants then allegedly used this PIN to steal more than 20,000 gallons of fuel from Delta Fuels, and the fuel was then sold to the retail locations.
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