PHILADELPHIA, PA — In a story that sounds like it’s straight out of a crime thriller, William Cole, a 32-year-old Philadelphia native, has found himself sentenced to nearly six years behind bars. His crime? A cunning plot to siphon off over $750,000 worth of diesel fuel using stolen credit card data, coupled with the illegal possession of some seriously dangerous firearms.
United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh laid down the law, sentencing Cole to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised freedom. It seems Cole’s days of dodging the law have come to a screeching halt.
Let’s break it down: From March 2021 until June 21, 2023, Cole orchestrated a scheme as slippery as the fuel he was stealing. He bought stolen credit card information and directed his cronies to fill up auxiliary tanks at gas stations around Philadelphia using his trucks. These weren’t just any fuel-ups; they were illicit transactions made with those unlawfully obtained credit card numbers. Cole then flipped the diesel, selling it off at cut-rate prices.
But that’s not all. On June 26, 2023, when authorities conducted a search of Cole’s residence, they unearthed a small arsenal. Homeland Security Investigations found a Smith and Wesson semi-automatic pistol ready to go with 15 rounds, plus a Glock 27 that had been tweaked with a conversion kit to fire fully automatic. Considering Cole’s past convictions for drug and gun offenses in Pennsylvania, he was well aware he had no business handling these weapons.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero didn’t mince words, emphasizing that Cole leveraged stolen identities to fuel his fraudulent scheme and armed himself with illegal firearms along the way. This sentencing isn’t just about putting a stop to his current crimes; it’s about holding him accountable for the threat he posed.
Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia, William S. Walker, highlighted the importance of cracking down on financial system manipulation, marking it as a key focus for Homeland Security Investigations. It’s clear from Walker’s statement that bringing down characters like Cole requires a dedicated effort from both agents and prosecutors.
Investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia’s El Dorado – Cyber Crimes Investigations Task Force (C2iTF) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison, Cole’s case is a testament to the relentless pursuit of justice against those who exploit commercial businesses through fraud. As Cole prepares to serve his time, it’s a stark warning to others tempted to follow in his footsteps: crime doesn’t pay, especially when you’re running on stolen diesel.
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