VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Two men are facing charges after allegedly hacking into a Virginia gas station's pumps and selling thousands of gallons of gas while the station was closed.
Virginia Beach Police said officers discovered the scheme when they were called for "suspicious activity" at the CITGO station on 1405 North Great Neck Road Tuesday night.
When officers arrived at the station, which was closed at the time, police saw "numerous vehicles and individuals congregating on the property, pumping gasoline."
Officers also found a social media post that read: "Gas fill up tonight at 11 p.m. Don't be late and spread the word. All gas, half off DM me for addy. Gas fill ups."
Officials said remote devices were used to hack the pumps and steal over 400 gallons of fuel in just a few hours. Those devices allowed them to bypass the computer and not register the sale, police said.
"Individuals were then selling the gasoline at a discounted rate through a phone application," police said.
The investigation revealed the individuals were receiving payment through CashApp and turning on the pumps via their devices.
Police later charged two Norfolk men, 24-year-old Rashane Griffith and 21-year-old Devon Drumgoole, with Grand Larceny, Conspiracy and Possession of Burglary Tools.
"More charges may be pending as the investigation continues," officials said.
Gas station lost $13,600 in fuel over 1 week
Police said the business owner was aware he was missing fuel but didn't understand how it was happening.
In fact, the gas owner told police that he had noticed fuel was missing the week before, but he did not understand how it had disappeared.
He revealed that he lost $13,600 in gas in one week in addition to the 600 gallons of gas that were taken Tuesday night.
"Gas stations that close overnight should review security camera footage from the last few weeks to ensure they have not been victims, as well," police warned. "It is recommended these businesses take extra precautions to ensure this does not happen to them in the future."
Anyone that has information that could help detectives is asked to call the VBPD Detective Bureau at 757-385-4101, the Virginia Beach Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (1-888-562-5887) or submit a tip online at P3Tips.com.
