Federal Grand Jury Indics Six Men For Conspiring to Steal and Re-Sell Restaurant Cooking Oil

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Guodeng Chen, Didi Huang, Fangfang Yan, all of Pittsford, NY, Ruimao Yang, Yan Han, and Wen Xiao Zhang, all of New York, NY, with conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Defendants Chen, Huang, and Yan are also charged with transportation and sale of stolen goods in interstate commerce, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, the defendants conspired to commit a series of thefts of used cooking oil, which can be refined into biodiesel fuel and re-sold for $4.00 to $5.00 per gallon, from numerous restaurants within and around Monroe County. Defendants Yang, Han, and Zhang drove trucks to restaurants and Zhang stole used cooking oil from oil collection tanks located outside of those restaurants. The defendants then delivered the stolen cooking oil to Chen, Huang, and Yan at a warehouse. Han worked in the warehouse and assisted in the collection and storage of the stolen cooking oil. Chen, Huang, and Yan subsequently sold the stolen cooking oil to a broker and caused the stolen cooking oil to be transported across state lines to a refinery located in Pennsylvania. On April 8 2022, Chen, Huang, and Yan caused approximately 45,000 pounds of stolen, used cooking oil to be transported from the Western District of New York to Erie, Pennsylvania, receiving more than $5,000 for the shipment. On April 28, 2022, Chen, Huang, and Yan caused another approximately 45,000 pounds of stolen, used cooking oil to be shipped from the Western District of New York to Erie, Pennsylvania, again receiving more than $5,000 for this shipment.

The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Harry Chavis, Acting Executive Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.