AUSTIN Ramon Perez-Torres, 31, of Mesquite, has been convicted of a first-degree charge of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity and sentenced to 15 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
According to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation news release, Perez-Torres was part of a sophisticated organized criminal group accused of stealing diesel fuel via fraudulent credit card information and using pulser tampering devices on motor fuel dispensers.
A pulser is part of the motor fuel metering system that counts fuel flow and determines the amount of fuel flow per penny. The criminal tampering device slows down the pulser, allowing suspects to pump hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel for pennies on the dollar. The criminal investigation found that the group stole more than 10,000 gallons of fuel from gas stations in nine different counties across Texas, the release said.
Authorities suspect that a large number of people were part of the group, and eight of them – including Perez-Torres – were indicted. Duniesky Gonzalez, the group’s ringleader, was convicted in June 2024 of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity and sentenced to 50 years in TDCJ, and Camilla Concepcion was convicted of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity and sentenced to 10 years in TDCJ.
Two other members of the group are being held in the Smith County Jail, awaiting trial. Three additional members of the group were indicted and are believed to have fled Texas.
The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, coordinating with 12 different law enforcement agencies across the state and the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, worked the case that led to the convictions. The Smith County District Attorney’s Office played an active role in this case as well, assisting and advising as the case was being built.
The law enforcement agencies involved in the investigations were:
- Garland Police Department
- Crandall Police Department
- Kemp Police Department
- Canton Police Department
- Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office
- Mabank Police Department
- Lindale Police Department
- Palestine Police Department
- Anderson County Sheriff’s Office
- Northlake Police Department
- Smith County Sheriff’s Office
- Plano Police Department
