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14 Indicted in Alleged Permian Basin Crude‑oil Theft Scheme Spanning New Mexico and Texas, Prosecutors Say
Prosecutors say the defendants stole crude oil from eastern New Mexico producers and resold it below West Texas Intermediate prices for profit.
- On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas announced the indictment of 14 suspects for allegedly conspiring to steal and transport crude oil from the Permian Basin across the New Mexico-Texas border.
- Spanning 86,000 square miles, the Permian Basin is the highest-producing oil region in the United States; prosecutors allege the group siphoned oil stored on federal government-leased land before selling it below West Texas Intermediate pricing.
- Of the 14 indicted, three are based in Texas, including owners of Reidco Enterprises, while 11 reside in Lovington, New Mexico; the FBI and Bureau of Land Management led the investigation.
- Defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy; if convicted, they also risk up to 10 years in federal prison on each count of interstate transportation, possession, or sale of the stolen oil.
- A federal grand jury in Lubbock returned the indictment on April 8; prosecutors aimed to prove the conspirators knew the oil was stolen and knowingly transported it across state lines for profit.
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El Paso.- A total of 14 people from Texas and New Mexico were formally charged by a federal grand jury in Lubbock for their alleged involvement in a network of theft and illegal trafficking of crude oil in the Permian Basin (Permian Basin), federal authorities reported. U.S. Attorney for the North District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that the defendants face charges of conspiracy to transport stolen property through interstate commerce. I…
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Total News Sources13
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution91% Center
Bias Distribution
- 91% of the sources are Center
91% Center
C 91%
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