BALTIMORE, April 1 (UPI) -- A truck driver for the Baltimore Department of Public Works has admitted he stole and sold more than 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel.
Maurice Boone, 45, entered a guilty plea Monday in a deal that spares him a prison term, The Baltimore Sun reported. He may testify against James Wright, the alleged buyer of the stolen fuel.
Boone was arrested in early 2009 after a police officer investigating car thefts saw him filling storage tanks in a warehouse from his city tanker truck. Investigators say he admitted he had been stealing fuel for about 18 months by filling up his truck, making the rounds to deliver fuel to city vehicles and then selling what was still in the tank.
His plea agreement includes a requirement to pay $187,000 in restitution for just over 100,000 gallons. But city officials say because of gaps in paperwork they have no idea how much fuel actually disappeared, and the financial loss could be as much as $1 million.
