SAN ANTONIO – Two men were convicted Monday in a scheme to steal from oil companies and oilfield service companies operating in the South Texas’ Eagle Ford Shale, the Department of Justice announced.
The DOJ said evidence at trial showed the two men, Luis Valencia, 49, and his nephew, Mauricio Valencia, 34, both of San Antonio, engaged in a scheme with others to steal about 33,000 barrels of crude oil between September 2013 and February 2016. That oil was valued in excess of $1.8 million, according to the DOJ.
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Officials said in 2013, Luis Valencia, along with others, used Houston-based Andra Energy, LLC, to serve as a collection point in Cotulla for stolen oil from nearby storage facilities.
Both men covered up their actions by filing false documents with the Texas Railroad Commission to make it appear that the stolen oil came from legitimate transactions, officials reported.
Luis Valencia was convicted of 10 counts of theft from interstate shipment, 10 counts of wire fraud, 10 costs of money laundering and four counts of transportation of stolen goods.
Mauricio Valencia was convicted of 10 counts of theft from interstate shipments, one count of wire fraud and four counts of transportation of stolen goods.
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.