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Collier deputies: Arcadia man illegally carrying diesel fuel in truck
Christopher Wayne Rottger
Richard Landford
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NAPLES — An Arcadia man is facing felony charges after Collier County sheriff’s deputies say he was illegally carrying diesel fuel in his utility truck following a traffic stop in a North Naples industrial park late Wednesday.
Christopher Wayne Rottger, 24, was charged with unlawful conveyance of fuel, a felony, and possession of burglary tools and loitering and prowling, both misdemeanors.
Two other people who were with Rottger, including a 16-year-old boy, were also arrested. They were charged with loitering and prowling and possession of burglary tools.
Rottger was driving a white Chevrolet flatbed utility truck on J&C Boulevard around 10:15 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office reported. The truck was carrying a rectangular metal fuel transfer tank in the open cargo area, report said.
Deputies patrolling the area became suspicious when the truck stopped in the driveway of a closed business with its lights turned off for several seconds and then proceeded east on J&C boulevard.
Deputies conducted a traffic stop.
Rottger, the driver, and his two passengers, Richard Landford and the 16-year-old, both of Arcadia, were all wearing black clothing, reports said. They each gave conflicting accounts of why they were in an industrial park where all of the businesses were closed.
There have been several burglaries and thefts of equipment and off-road diesel fuel in that area in recent weeks, reports said.
The tank in the bed of the truck contained about 50 gallons of diesel fuel. The container was not approved by the state Department of Transportation.
Inside the truck were items commonly used to commit burglaries and fuel thefts, including a saw, flashlight, a jack, tires, four concrete blocks and an external fuel pump, deputies said.
The boy, who is not being named because he was charged with a misdemeanor, was released to the custody of the state Department of Juvenile Justice.
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Dang Caucasians!
#1 Posted by mangy_coon on September 4, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ryu, you must not have read the rest I'll quote:
"God help the first one of you who takes this seriously..."
Dumba**, yup you Ryu!
#2 Posted by youreallcrazy on September 4, 2008 at 6:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sad story though reminds me of a movie I saw decades ago. I cannot remember the name though Burt Reynolds had a broken leg while riding in a canoe.
#3 Posted by ZhuZhu on September 4, 2008 at 8 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yep Zhu and didn't somebody squeal like a pig? Book 'em and throw away the key.. White trash!!!
#4 Posted by theabyss on September 4, 2008 at 8:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
White trash sc um bag.
#5 Posted by okay on September 4, 2008 at 9:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Is it even possible to loiter and prowl at the same time?
#6 Posted by 12gauge on September 4, 2008 at 10:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is such BS! come on. The only crime commited here was that they had fuel in a unlawful container, thats it. THey had and I qoute including a "saw, flashlight, a jack, tires, four concrete blocks and an external fuel pump, deputies said." Bs this will get thrown out of court. Those are just tools nothing else. It's time CCSO starts doing there job, and stops going after this little petty stuff.
#7 Posted by SmallBlock on September 4, 2008 at 11:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Also were they cought doing a crime? No! It's time CCSO gets there heads out of there asses and start doing some productive....
#8 Posted by SmallBlock on September 4, 2008 at 11:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Smallblock, what landed you in jail at the hands of CCSO? You sound a bit angry.
#9 Posted by drunkenmonkeykungfu on September 4, 2008 at 11:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nope, I have never been to jail. I've lived here my whole life and the cops have always been the same. They have nothing better to do. I've been harrased many times for bs reasons. I'm not a criminal, I have a full time job. I have a house I drive A lifted 4x4, a streetbike and a dragcar. I'm not a criminal, i'M ALSO AN NRA menber, and I have my CCW, and every time I've ran into a LEO they have been asses to me for no reason.
rant over..
#10 Posted by SmallBlock on September 5, 2008 at 12:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I can tell you this..there is no work in Arcadia.
#11 Posted by almostdone on September 5, 2008 at 5:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If the fuel was being transported illegally, then they were doing their job. The mention of the subjects giving "conflicting stories" does make the situation that much more notable.
#12 Posted by pauls on September 5, 2008 at 7:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
In the toolbox in the back of my truck are:
a saw
wrenches
a tire iron
a jack
jumper cables
a come along
a sledge hammer
I also have a 5 gallon can of diesel in there that is off road fuel
I guess I'm a criminal, too.
#13 Posted by 12gauge on September 5, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
they should have gotten out of the truck right away and said no speakie english, giving them a shot at being released on a $100 bond
#14 Posted by grouper25 on September 5, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I bet you saw the words illegal Arcadia Collier County and thought of your favorite mexican.
CapeCodder: Muy funny! Send them back to Europe, LOL
Ilegal is illegal, how fast we learn.
#15 Posted by NYEM on September 5, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Smallblock: not buying it. sorry. Its called suspicious behavior. Put all the facts together: they were up to no good, period. Nothing wrong with stopping a crime before it happens. As for the CCSO picking on little ol you. Well, If your like so many of the other people that have lifts on your truck you probably drive like a jerk who thinks he owns the roads. Several roads head North. Pick one!
#16 Posted by goodview on September 5, 2008 at 11:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ive known chris since we were kids.... bout time that sort of stuff caught up with him.
#17 Posted by firefightermedic27 on September 5, 2008 at 12:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The 2008 Florida Statutes
Title XXIII
MOTOR VEHICLES Chapter 316
STATE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL View Entire Chapter
316.80 Unlawful conveyance of fuel; obtaining fuel fraudulently.--
(1) It is unlawful for any person to maintain, or possess any conveyance or vehicle that is equipped with, fuel tanks, bladders, drums, or other containers that do not conform to 49 C.F.R. or have not been approved by the United States Department of Transportation for the purpose of hauling, transporting, or conveying motor or diesel fuel over any public highway. Any person who violates any provision of this subsection commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, and, in addition, is subject to the revocation of driver license privileges as provided in s. 322.26.
(2) Any person who violates subsection (1) commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if he or she has attempted to or has fraudulently obtained motor or diesel fuel by:
(a) Presenting a credit card or a credit card account number in violation of ss. 817.57-817.685;
(b) Using unauthorized access to any computer network in violation of s. 815.06; or
(c) Using a fraudulently scanned or lost or stolen payment access device, whether credit card or contactless device.
(3) All conveyances or vehicles, fuel tanks, related fuel, and other equipment described in subsection (1) shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture as provided by the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act.
(4) The law enforcement agency that seizes the motor or diesel fuel under this section shall remove and reclaim, recycle, or dispose of all associated motor or diesel fuel as soon as practicable in a safe and proper manner from the illegal containers.
(5) Upon conviction of the person arrested for the violation of any of the provisions of this section, the judge shall issue an order adjudging and declaring that all fuel tanks and other equipment used in violation of this section shall be forfeited and directing their destruction, with the exception of the conveyance or vehicle.
(6) Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be responsible for:
(a) All reasonable costs incurred by the investigating law enforcement agency, including costs for the towing and storage of the conveyance or vehicle, the removal and disposal of the motor or diesel fuel, and the storage and destruction of all fuel tanks and other equipment described and used in violation of subsection (1); and
(b) Payment for the fuel to the party from whom any associated motor or diesel fuel was fraudulently obtained.
(7) This section does not apply to containers of 8 gallons or less.
#18 Posted by Parkmeister on September 5, 2008 at 1:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
12 guage, read paragraph (7) of post #28. You are not a criminal.
#19 Posted by Parkmeister on September 5, 2008 at 1:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Some of you are so ignorant. Think you fall into that category there small blockhead. I guess it would have been better to have waited for these three morons from Arcadia to have just broken into some businesses. I am sure the business owners in the industrial park aren’t complaining.
The naïveté and ignorance is actually hysterical. I wonder how some of you even figure out how to put on a pair of pants.
Oh and one more thing it’s a totality of the circumstances that is taken into consideration. Not just the fact they had a few power tools in the bed of the truck.
Hey tell you what, if some of you are such experts on the law [and you know who you are] leave your name and number here so the deputies can call you for advice.
Yeah okay three guys from Arcadia driving with there lights off in a closed industrial park in Naples. What no industrial parks in Arcadia? Oh maybe the cops are on to them up there and they need to expand their horizons. Or maybe they were just here to “deliver some fuel”.
What a joke I am laughing all the way to the bathroom.
P.S. A message to the common sense impaired, remember one pant leg at a time.
#20 Posted by factteller1 on September 5, 2008 at 2:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hey look on the bright side while these guys were being booked someone sold you teen age son some coke right across the street
#21 Posted by greasemonkey on September 5, 2008 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I love it when people "cut and paste" information on this blog.
#22 Posted by trehuger on September 5, 2008 at 4:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Right on small block. Lets not forget to charge them with illegal tint too!
#23 Posted by MONKABOY on September 5, 2008 at 5:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
saw, flashlight,jack! a hypothetical charge of burglary tools?
#24 Posted by MONKABOY on September 5, 2008 at 5:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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