Two more men were charged with stealing used cooking oil from North Shore restaurants on Wednesday, April 12, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
The alleged incident is the second this month that targeted local restaurants.
Eduardo Gutierrez Benitez, 48, of Brooklyn, and Andres Felipe Duarte Pineda, 23, of Elizabeth, N.J., were arrested at about 2:30 a.m. behind the IHOP located at 145 Hillside Ave. in Williston Park, according to police.
Used cooking oil can be recycled into biodiesel, a biodegradable fuel created from vegetable oils, animal fats or restaurant grease, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Over 5,000 Long Island restaurants have had their cooking oil stolen in the last 10 months, Patrick McCall, a private investigator probing the thefts, told News12.
“Basically, what’s happening is thieves are coming out, usually at nighttime, coming to different restaurants, coming to different strip malls that have multiple food establishments…cutting a hole or using bolt cutters to cut the locks off the containers, inserting their hose and then sipping the oil from the containers,” McCall told News12.
The national average price between Jan. 1 and Jan. 15 this year for B20 fuel, a blend of 6% to 20% biodiesel, cost $4.46 per gallon, according to the Department of Energy. Pure biodiesel, or B100, cost $5.22 per gallon on average during the same time.
McCall told News12 a stolen drum of used cooking oil can be worth approximately $900.
Earlier this month, Suffolk County Police charged Hector Castrol-Espinal, 23, of Queens for siphoning hundreds of gallons of used cooking oil from a Chik-Fil-A in Huntington Station and reselling it on multiple occasions.
A police investigation at IHOP ensued after officers on patrol conducted a vehicle and traffic stop when they saw a 1999 Ford E350 van occupied by the two men at the restaurant, officials said.
Police determined that the two men were also responsible for stealing used cooking oil from Café Sport in Williston Park, Uncle Bacalas in Garden City, Jonathan’s Restaurant and Shah’s Halal Food in Garden City Park, Brew House and Dominick’s Italian American-Deli in New Hyde Park and Amalfi Pizza in Port Washington, according to authorities.
Melvin Howell and Rodney Lofton were charged April 7 with stealing used cooking oil from Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck, Stresa Restaurant and IHOP in Manhasset, Monster Crab and Fyhre Hibachi Sushi Lounge Restaurant in Carle Place, Mint in Garden City and the Cheesecake Factory, Chick-Fil-A and Benihana Restaurant in Westbury, according to officials.
Benitez was charged with seven counts of petit larceny. Pineda was charged with eight counts of petit larceny, police said. Both men were arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on April 12.