According to an officer with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the man had stolen gas before in DeKalb County.
MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — A man was arrested on Thursday for stealing over 2,000 gallons of gasoline from a Monroe County gas station, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the sheriff’s office, Lionel Jones, 27, stole 2,446 gallons of gas between Jan. 19 and 20. Jones waited until the BP gas station on Rumble Road was closed, and then used what public information officer Anna Watkins described as a “contraption” to siphon the gas.
The release said that deputies, around midnight, found a Grey SUV and a U-Haul truck belonging to Jones by going through the FLOCK camera system.
They tracked the truck down and conducted a traffic stop, according to the release. Then, a Monroe County deputy smelled gasoline and investigated inside. They found two 250-gallon plastic tanks that were nearly empty. Watkins said they also found jumper cables and other miscellaneous things that may have been used to get the gas to start pumping without paying.
Watkins also said this isn’t Jones’ first time stealing gas. She said he committed a similar crime in DeKalb and has a pending charge, but did not have any probation. She also said that he has other small theft charges.
Jones, according to the release, was charged with theft by taking, possession of marijuana less than an ounce and criminal attempt to commit a felony. Watkins said he’s currently being held at the Monroe County Jail and does not have a bond.
This incident is currently under investigation. 13WMAZ will provide updates when they become available.
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