Federal Grand Jury Indicts Monahans Man For Oil Theft Scheme

In Midland, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Monahans, TX, man in connection with a scheme to steal an estimated $58,000 worth of oil announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Douglas C. Lindquist, El Paso Division.

The indictment charges 33–year-old David Wayne Schroeder with three counts of theft from an interstate shipment.  The indictment alleges that on three separate occasions in November and December 2013, Schroeder stole oil from different Permian Basin companies.  The final incident, according to court records, occurred during the evening hours of November 30, 2013, and into the early morning hours of December 1, 2013, when Schroeder used a stolen vacuum truck and trailer to steal five tankerloads (approximately 520 barrels) of oil from a Whiting Petroleum lease in Ward County.  Schroeder delivered the stolen oil to Itero Energy’s site in Monahans for payment.  A Ward County Sheriff’s deputy dispatched to investigate a possible stolen vacuum truck on Itero’s site witnessed Schroeder off-loading oil and attempted to question him.  After a brief altercation with the deputy, Schroeder managed to flee the scene in a stolen vehicle, but was apprehended later that morning in Monahans.  Investigators discovered Schroeder had left four tickets each documenting a separate tanker load delivered to Itero Energy’s site.  In the normal course of business, the tickets would have justified and likely led to Itero Energy’s payment for the oil deliveries.

Upon conviction of each theft charge, Schroeder faces up to 20 years in federal prison.  Schroeder remains in federal custody pending trial.  No trial date has been scheduled.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Permian Basin Oilfield Theft Task Force, which consists of federal agents as well as law enforcement officers from the Midland County Sheriff’s Office and the Andrews County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney John Klassen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.