VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Two men were sentenced to prison on Wednesday for their roles in a 2022 scheme where the duo stole more than $15,000 in fuel from a Virginia Beach gas station.
Rashane Griffith was ordered to seven years behind bars, while Devon Drumgoole, his accomplice, was sentenced to five years, the Virginia Beach Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney said. Both men received greater sentences than the guidelines recommended because of the “magnitude of the scam, and the boldness and arrogance” of the defendants, Circuit Court Judge Les L. Lilley said.
The pair was charged with grand larceny, possession of burglary tools and conspiracy.
In June 2022, at the Citgo gas station on North Great Neck Road, Griffith and Drumgoole bypassed the gas pump's credit card machine and in turn sold it for their personal gain, the Virginia Beach Police Department said.
The department learned of the scheme when a large group of vehicles were seen filling up, even though the station was closed for the day. Police said the suspects accessed the pumps illegally and instructed drivers to pay them using Cash App.
“Someone would greet them. Pay [the suspects] on Cash App. [They] would then distribute gas, and then, they’d close up and leave," Lt. Brad Wesseler told 13News Now at the time. "The owner comes in, checks his pumps, everything seems normal.”
The pair advertised they were selling the gas for half-price on social media, authorities said.
