Posted on 10/20/2004 12:51:36 PM PDT by Tamar1973
Owner of auto wrecking firm, worker allegedly sold gas from abandoned cars
A Santa Rosa auto dismantling company owner and one of his employees face felony charges stemming from the illegal sale of gasoline from abandoned cars, police and prosecutors said Tuesday.
Cream's Auto Dismantling obtained many of those cars under towing contracts with Sonoma County and the city of Santa Rosa, authorities said.
Police said Santa Rosa would be terminating its contract with Cream's, which is worth an estimated $50,000 a year. Sonoma County administrators couldn't be reached to determine what would happen with that contract, which is worth as much as $120,000 annually.
Joe Cream Jr., 40, and Brian Wallace, 42, a manager at the northern Santa Rosa dismantling yard, were arrested Tuesday after a five-month investigation, police said.
They were booked at Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of conspiracy and illegally disposing and transporting hazardous materials, Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Steve Fraga said.
Both men were released on $1,000 bail.
The arrests came four months after the company was convicted of violating state hazardous waste laws. At the time, the company agreed to pay a $10,000 fine and comply with laws governing the handling of vehicle waste fluids.
In the new case, prosecutor Jeffrey Holtzman said Cream mishandled gasoline, oil and antifreeze siphoned from cars that were to be crushed.
Handling of the fluids must be documented "from cradle to grave," he said.
"What they were doing was short circuiting that process," Fraga said.
After cars were drained, the fluids were supposed to be taken by a licensed hauler to a licensed disposal facility. Instead, police said, Cream's was paying Robert Cross of Sebastopol about $1 a gallon to take it away.
Fraga said it would cost at least twice as much to dispose of the fluids legally.
Cross was selling the gasoline from his home at a below-market price, Holtzman said.
Cross also was questioned and may be arrested, Fraga said.
Fraga said the investigation started after police received a tip. Detectives think illegal handling of gas and other fluids dates to February.
If Cream and Wallace are convicted, he said they could be sentenced to as much as three years in prison and fined as much as $100,000.
Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Doug Schlief said the city can cancel its contact with Cream's for any reason by giving 60 days notice. Schlief said that the contract will be terminated by early December and the city will seek bids for towing.
The county's contract has a five-day termination clause for any reason, Assistant Sheriff Gary Zanolini said.
Zanolini said he alerted county administrators to the case but didn't know if a decision had been made about the contract.
"I have a call into the county to see where we go from here," he said.
After cars were drained, the fluids were supposed to be taken by a licensed hauler to a licensed disposal facility. Instead, police said, Cream's was paying Robert Cross of Sebastopol about $1 a gallon to take it away.
Fraga said it would cost at least twice as much to dispose of the fluids legally.
Another grand example of the government mandating the most expensive way to do things and making any other perfectly reasonable options criminal.
and anyone should care WHY ?
how stupid is this law ?
"selling the gasoline from his home at a below-market price"
Means the oil companies weren't getting their fair share plus the state wasn't getting its fair share in tax revenue. The only people that were getting a fair shake was the sellee and the sellor, which means they weren't getting squeezed at the market prices. And that's not fair. Every consumer should be squeezed by the oil companies and the state.
The oil company already got paid for the gasoline when the original owner of the car put the gas in the car in the first place.
Wouldn't the illegal competition put the oil companies in a sore light.
Would you buy gasoline from this guy not knowing where it had been or what it might be contaminated with? I wouldn't risk it and I doubt that you would either.
The oil company got their share when they wholesaled it out. The state got their 'fair share' when it was retailed. They have nothing to gain other than protecting consumers. Would you buy gas from a station knowing that they may be selling 'recycled' gas?
Unless you live in California, particularly Northern California, you don't understand how desperate people might get for cheap gasoline. The last time I checked the price of gas at the nearest gas station, it was listed at $2.47/gallon.
similar to how my state of residence,MN (and many others I'm sure) have laws against sports gambling, but air commercials for state lotto all the time.
the government hates competition, whether in education or
gas sales.
That is what I think this is mostly about. If the make shift gas seller had charged his customers sales tax, they probably would have left him alone. : )
I think it would run just fine in my lawnmower!
$2.39 at AM/PM next to Costco. And no one is desperate. They still manage to go in and drop a few bucks on junk food, colas and cigarettes.
I'd probable buy a few gallons just to pour on the yellowjacket nests around my house. I wouldn't care where it had been.
Maybe, maybe not. Not worth the risk just to save a couple of bucks and the time to go get it from the guy.
just remember, it's only price "gouging" when done by private business. otherwise , Kerry's .50/gallon tax on
gas would also be "price gouging" and $12k per kid to educate them would be "price gouging".
I could go on, but won't.
Seems like this would be a natural to get tossed on the ashheap of history by "limited government" Republican Party pols.
But will they? Nah. They won't even push to let us freely choose our own toilets.
I have heard that some people have actually smuggled them in from Canada. LOL!
"Would you buy gas from a station knowing that they may be selling 'recycled' gas?"
"Recycled gas"? No such thing. Gas burns. It is not possible to "recycle" it. Anyway, why are you getting your panties in a twist. No one is forcing anyone to buy it. Whats the big deal?
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