Man Caught Stealing $9,000 Worth of Gas from Gas Station As Fuel Prices Skyrocket The Orlando, Florida man was caught stealing from three different Wawa locations.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Gas prices continue to climb, with prices in states like California even surpassing $6 a gallon this week.

One man in Florida seemingly had enough of the high prices after he was caught illegally siphoning more than 1,300 gallons of gas worth an estimated $9,000 from multiple local Wawa locations.

Yerrison Perez of Orange County, Florida, was charged with three counts of grand theft and one count of scheme to defraud by the Orlando Police Department after he was caught stealing gas from three different Wawas between June 17, 2022, and July 7, 2022.

Related: Why Is Gas So Expensive Lately?

He was arrested on September 8 on an active warrant, though authorities had begun investigating the thefts last year, Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson maintained in a statement.

"This arrest is evidence that our continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners is successful in busting these criminals and should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can get away with fuel theft in our state," Simpson said.

Authorities said that they were able to track Perez down by viewing "video evidence, business records, bank records, and other investigative techniques" before he was identified by the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement.

According to AAA, the average price of gas in the Orlando Metro area as of Wednesday was $3.651 versus one year ago when the average price per gallon was $3.360.

Related: Gas Prices About to Skyrocket, Gas Economics 101

Last week, U.S. oil prices went over $90 a barrel for the first time in 2023, triggering higher gas prices per gallon, with the national average increasing nearly six cents from the week prior.

The national average price per gallon of gas is currently $3.875.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Growing a Business

They Went From Selling Hangers as Kids to Starting a Retail Brand Worth $2.8 Billion – Here's What the Property Brothers Learned About Entrepreneurship

The kings of HGTV, Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott, share their insights as lifelong entrepreneurs.

Marketing

Trying to Reach a Multi-Generational Audience? Here Are the 3 Elements Your Marketing Strategy Must Include.

Reaching multiple generations doesn't have to be a challenge. Learn how to craft a unified, data-driven marketing strategy that combines personalization, multi-channel reach and timeless techniques to connect with audiences spanning Boomers to Gen Z and beyond.

Side Hustle

This 31-Year-Old Spends 2 Hours Per Week On His $3,000-a-Month Passive Income Side Hustle: 'Trust Your Vision'

Hansel Moore's home office "wasn't cutting it" — so he found another place to be creative.

Franchise

4 Tips for Selecting the Right Location for Your Franchise

Stay true to your model and understand your guests so your new location will create the same experience they've come to expect everywhere you operate.