New Jersey man faces more charges after stealing gas from Stewart's
SCHODACK, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A New Jersey man who was arrested by Schodack police for allegedly stealing over $3,000 worth of gas with stolen credit card information in 2022, now faces additional charges. Yandi Martinez, 35, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was arrested again on Monday.
Police say that on June 25, 2022, Martinez was arrested following an investigation of several reported incidents where large amounts of diesel fuel were purchased with stolen credit card information. Police say Martinez allegedly pumped gas for roughly three hours, purchasing over $3,000 worth of fuel with the stolen card information.
Police say their investigation uncovered that the car he was driving had a hidden fuel storage tank. Police also say the registration of the car was fake, and he was initially arrested for second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and other vehicle and traffic law violations.
He was processed by the Schodack state police and was released on an appearance ticket returnable to the Schodack Town Court on July 6, 2022. The car involved was impounded for further investigation.
Upon further investigation, police executed a search warrant on the car. 104 gift cards were allegedly found and hidden inside the car. The cards found were allegedly purchased with stolen or fraudulent credit card information that did not belong to Martinez. Police then determined that fuel purchases Martinez made on January 9, 2023, were purchased using stolen credit card information.
Charges:
- Second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument (104 counts)
- Third-degree grand larceny
- Second-degree scheme to defraud
Martinez was processed by the Schodack state police. He was arraigned at the Schodack Town Court and released on his own recognizance.