Federal Grand Jury Indicts 14 in Permian Basin Oil Theft Conspiracy

Fourteen defendants from Texas and New Mexico were indicted by a federal grand jury in Lubbock, Texas recently for their roles in what authorities called "a large-scale oil theft conspiracy" in the Permian Basin, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Each of the defendants is charged with with conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce, and several defendants are also charged with interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, or sale of stolen property.

According to a press released, all 14 defendants allegedly conspired to transport stolen crude oil across the New Mexico-Texas border for the purpose of enriching themselves.  The indictment alleges that several defendants stole crude oil from oil producers in the Eastern New Mexico region of the Permian Basin, some of which was then stored on land that one of the conspirators leased from the United States government.  That conspirator then sold the stolen crude oil to others in the conspiracy at prices significantly below West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) pricing.

If convicted, each of the defendants faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to ten years in federal prison on each count of interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, or sale of stolen property.