PUNTA GORDA, Fla. ( WWSB ) - Charlotte County deputies say they caught members of a statewide diesel fuel theft ring in the act in Punta Gorda this week.

Just before midnight on Sept. 22, deputies were told of some semi trucks suspected of being involved in fuel thefts entering Charlotte County.

Deputies found them at a RaceTrac gas station on Duncan Road in Punta Gorda. A deputy was able to record the drivers of the vehicles as they unlocked and manipulated the diesel pumps before dispensing fuel, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said.

Three men were arrested after it was confirmed the pumps had been manipulated through the use of what’s known as a Pulsar mechanism, the sheriff’s office said.

This device renders the pump unable to accurately register the number of gallons dispe

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