One suspect arrested and released twice in 45 days for felony crimes
DELMAR—Bethlehem police arrested two men after a traffic stop at 3:18 a.m. on Delaware Avenue for allegedly stealing used cooking oil. The investigation revealed that the thefts spanned multiple incidents across two states.
Officers observed a white van with Maryland plates backed up to a Delaware Avenue pizza restaurant near its tanks of used cooking oil on Wednesday, Nov. 13. When the van’s operators noticed police, they fled the scene and traveled toward Albany. Officers stopped the vehicle near 132 Delaware Avenue after observing it cross the center line.
According to reports, the driver, identified by his New York State driver’s license as Willy Castillo-Diaz, 20, of the Bronx, claimed he was in town to pick up his friend, Jhoan Mendez-Martinez, 26, also of the Bronx, who was a passenger in the van. However, Mendez-Martinez stated that they had traveled together from the Bronx to Delmar.
Both men had cooking oil on their clothes, boots, and hands. Inside the van, police discovered two large tanks—one containing 250 gallons of used cooking oil—along with a pair of red bolt cutters coated in cooking oil and a large pump used to siphon oil.
Police returned to Adriano’s Pizza and found its oil vat open and empty. Further investigation revealed that oil had also been stolen from O’Slattery’s and Tooles.
The used oil containers are owned by Buffalo Biodiesel, a recycling company that refines and sells the oil to manufacturers of biodiesel and jet fuels. Restaurant owners receive payment for the waste oil, which is stored in locked containers provided by Buffalo Biodiesel until pickup, according to company president Sumit Majumdar.
“When somebody steals a full vat of oil, it is worth about $1,400,” Majumdar said. “People may not realize there is value in this waste.”
Thieves, however, are well aware of its value. Majumdar said oil theft has become such a significant problem in the past two years that the company is installing radar systems in vats to track levels and detect theft.
Buffalo Biodiesel reported multiple thefts in Delmar in 2024. In February, oil was stolen from Coray Kitchen, Tea House Asian Bistro, and Great Wall Chinese. Extra Napkin’s vats were drained in March and September. O’Slattery’s was targeted in February, May, September, and November. Buffalo Biodiesel pays restaurants approximately 25 cents per gallon for waste oil, Majumdar noted.
The stolen oil is often sold to other processors in the New York/New Jersey area. However, in some cases, it is part of larger criminal schemes. According to Majumdar, organized crime groups use the oil to set up businesses that facilitate wire transfers for money laundering.
“We are a very regulated industry,” Majumdar explained. “Processors can only make transactions through wire transfers, and these thefts allow shell companies to create pathways for transferring funds from activities like human trafficking and drug sales. This is not just a simple theft of waste oil.”
Mendez-Martinez has a history of similar offenses. On Sept. 23, Connecticut State Police stopped a van during an investigation into a commercial burglary in Kent, Conn. Inside, they found Mendez-Martinez and another man, Carlos Alberto Salas, 45, with two 250-gallon containers, each partially filled with used cooking oil. Both men were arrested and charged with burglary, criminal mischief, and larceny. Mendez-Martinez was released on a $5,000 bond at the time.
During the Connecticut arrest, Salas claimed they were visiting approximately 10 restaurants in the area to clean kitchens. However, Salas could not explain the cleaning process and admitted to waiting in the van while Mendez-Martinez “tended to the kitchens.”
Mendez-Martinez was arrested again on Thursday, Nov. 7, in Kingston for stealing cooking oil from Kennedy Fried Chicken, along with Luis Morel-Moreta, 24, and Jose Arias-Mercado, 23. Majumdar noted that Kennedy Fried Chicken, a Buffalo Biodiesel customer, had not had oil available for pickup in over a year.
All three men were charged with fourth-degree grand larceny (a felony) and possession of burglar tools. They were released with appearance tickets because, under New York State law, grand larceny in the fourth degree is not considered a violent felony and is therefore not bail-eligible.
