FORT PIERCE — A Miami man was arrested Thursday after deputies said he used fraudulently encoded gift cards to obtain diesel fuel at a truck stop in St. Lucie County.
Deputies with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Operations Bureau responded around 2:30 p.m. March 12 to Love’s Truck Stop, 200 S. Kings Highway, regarding a fuel theft in progress.
When deputies arrived, they located the suspect actively obtaining fuel and took him into custody without incident.
Detectives with the sheriff’s office Criminal Investigations Division responded to continue the investigation. Authorities determined the suspect had been using Walmart gift cards that were fraudulently encoded with compromised credit card information to purchase diesel fuel.
Investigators said about $1,200 worth of diesel fuel was obtained during the incident using the fraudulent cards.
The suspect was identified as Denis Daniel Lopez Perez, 29, of Miami. He was arrested and charged with grand theft (property value $750–$5,000), possession of counterfeited license plates and fraud involving the illegal use of a credit card.