Cooking-Oil Theft: Arlington Police Charge Two with Increasingly Common Crime

by Allison Klein (The Washington Post) For months, used cooking oil has been disappearing from containers behind Washington area restaurants. Thieves have been siphoning tens of thousands of gallons a month and reselling it, authorities say.

Arlington County police last week arrested two men at Ballston Common Mall they say were trying just such a scheme.

Cooking-oil theft is on the rise as the evolving biodiesel market has led to an increase in its value, according to Detective Crystal Nosal, an Arlington police spokeswoman.

...“It’s a brand-new crime,” said Steve Blankenship, regional manager of Charlottesville-based Greenlight Biofuels, which buys used oil from restaurants. “And it’s happening on an unbelievable scale.” He said the oil can sell on the street for as much as $4 per gallon. READ MORE