Video surveillance caught the liquid larceny: A man pulled a box truck behind a Maplewood strip mall in the wee hours in late October, got out, grabbed a hose and jammed it into a bin of used cooking oil outside Great Moon Buffet.

He siphoned nearly $800 worth of grease from the restaurant, pumping it into a storage container in the back of the truck and slipping away into the darkness, according to felony charges against the alleged culprit, who’s also accused of hitting up two other restaurants.

“I had never heard of anything like this before,” said Derek Fritze, a 10-year Maplewood police detective who investigated the case. “Apparently, it’s a big thing.”

But it’s not new, just more widespread as used cooking oil has become liquid gold over the past decade because it’s recycled for the production of biofuel, said Kent Swisher, president and CEO of the North American Renderers Association. He said thieves are stealing up to $80 million worth of the grease every year, up from $42 million in 2013.

“So, yeah, it’s across the country,” he said of the thievery. “And as prices have gotten stronger over time, you’d think the renderers would be happy. But it actually created more problems, because it created more people trying to steal it.”

Renderers and smaller businesses collect the oil from restaurants, who are compensated depending on the volume. It’s then processed and sold to refineries. Besides biofuel, it’s used as a nutritional additive in animal feed.

The global used cooking oil market is expanding rapidly. It was valued at $7 billion in 2023 and is expected to top $14 billion by 2033, according to market analysts.

Meanwhile, U.S. restaurants have been getting 10 to 50 cents per gallon this year for the grease, says Florida-based recycler Grease Connections.

Slippery bandit

A manager at Great Moon Buffet noticed the restaurant had only been getting about $15 a month — instead of the usual $600 to $700 — because the amount of used cooking oil in the barrel out back was low when picked up by Sanimax, a rendering company with a plant in South St. Paul.

So he put up surveillance cameras, which caught the illicit act going down just before 4 a.m. Oct. 23. Cameras got an image of the man’s face, and the back license plate of his white box truck. The manager reported the theft to police on Oct. 28.

Less than two weeks later, around 4:20 a.m. Nov. 7, police saw the truck parked outside a restaurant on Beam Avenue, the criminal complaint says. The driver denied stealing used oil from any restaurant. He said the truck belonged to his friends, and that he stopped in the parking lot because his truck was not working.

Police say they later matched the driver’s face to the man in the Great Moon Buffet surveillance video.

Sanimax gave police a list of other restaurants where surveillance cameras allegedly caught the same man stealing grease: New Hong Kong Wok in New Brighton about 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 10, 2024, and Peking Garden Restaurant in St. Paul around 4 a.m. eight days later.

Sanimax put the value of the oil stolen from the three restaurants at just over $3,600.

The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office charged the Minneapolis man with three counts of theft, two at the felony level. His attorney did not respond to the Pioneer Press’ requests for comment on the allegations.

Prevention tactics

Sanimax driver Jimmy Lee keeps an eye on a container full of grease as it is lifted and emptied into a recycling truck during a pickup in South St. Paul. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

On a recent weekday morning, a Sanimax driver pulled up to Concord Lanes and sucked out used cooking oil from a large bin on the side of the bowling alley. It’ll end up just down the road at the company’s South St. Paul plant, a remnant of the city’s stockyards and meatpacking days.

Mike Karman, Sanimax vice president of procurement, said used cooking oil theft has been a problem for at least a decade — mostly in larger metropolitan areas — and it’s been more prevalent in the Twin Cities over the past two summers compared to neighboring states.

“We see multiple different trucks, so we know it’s more than one actor,” he said of the local spate of thefts. “So I can say that there’s more than one truck running around doing it.”

To try to prevent the thievery, Sanimax puts its bins inside restaurants when there’s room or puts locks on them. “But the problem is,” Karman said, “most of these thieves, even if there is a lock on where you dump in the oil, they’ll just lift and bend up a corner of the lid and stick in a pipe to suck it out.”

Expensive anti-theft lids are also an option, although thieves are known to drill through the bin to get at the oil, he said.

Samimax also does its own surveillance, he said, without getting into the details.

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Sanimax told police that man who took the Great Moon Buffet grease could be employed or contracted by rival recycling business Greasehauler. Sanimax did its own investigation and found the man’s truck parked at Greasehauler’s plant in Plato, Minn., several times.

Karman said he couldn’t get into all that, but added: “We take our business seriously, so when we see that there is theft, we utilize all of our resources.”

Greasehauler owner Lev Mirman, when contacted by the Pioneer Press, said he had never heard of the man charged in the Great Moon Buffet theft. He said he gets used cooking oil from several sources and that it’s possible someone gave him a fake name.

Karman said Sanimax does not buy grease from non-vetted suppliers, but there is no regulation stopping other processors from doing so.

Syndicates charged federally

Swisher, from the Virginia-based renderers association, said they started a task force in 2013 to try to get law enforcement to put more focus on the thefts “because at the time, everybody kind of giggled about stolen used cooking oil.”

That’s no longer the case, he said.

“It’s become such a big thing over the years that it’s even gotten the FBI’s attention. And some of the syndicates are quite large,” he said. “When you Google it, it’s kind of amazing how many stories pop up these days.”

The alleged capers range from a lone man with a single truck to an organized ring running a whole fleet.

A federal grand jury in North Carolina indicted 21 co-conspirators — including 12 from Mexico and one from Turkey — on several charges in 2019 for allegedly stealing nearly $4 million worth of used cooking oil over five years. The ring operated across North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, storing the stolen grease in a warehouse, the indictment says.

In December, a federal grand jury in western New York announced the indictment of six New York men for allegedly stealing at least 90,000 pounds of used grease from restaurants in and around Rochester. They sold the oil to a broker, who sold it to a refinery in Erie, Pennsylvania, the indictment says.

Swisher said his association disbanded their task force after renderers started taking theft precautions. Many now have cameras, hire private investigators and offer cash rewards to try to catch the thieves. He knows of at least one renderer that puts electronic anti-theft devices on its bins that sense when the oil is being stolen and alerts police or private investigators.

An apology, cash offer

Peking Garden co-owner Teresa Nguyen said she didn’t know someone stole their grease last year. But that wasn’t the case five years ago at their former University Avenue location, when she caught a guy siphoning oil from a bin they shared with a neighboring restaurant, Golden Gate Cafe.

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She thought at first he was a Sanimax driver collecting the grease. But then he “looked afraid” and apologized, she said, and offered her $100 cash on the spot to not call the police.

She refused, told him it wasn’t just her oil. She asked him to go to Golden Gate and explain what he had done because both restaurants had been noticing the Sanimax compensation checks were smaller than usual.

The man left in his box truck, but didn’t go to Golden Gate. The theft went unreported to police.

“Honestly, we have a lot of customers in the cities that we know get stolen from, but we can’t quite quantify it because a lot of times they don’t take all of it,” said Karman, of Sanimax. “But then the customer goes, ‘Oh, my checks are half the size they used to be. I wonder why.’ And then they just go on to doing something else and don’t report it.”

Family and friends of Avontae King were back in the same Dakota County courtroom Thursday where the man who fatally shot him in 2023 was sentenced just a year ago.

This time it was for the shooter’s accomplice, Tre Manuel Iglesias, who in July pleaded guilty to his role in King’s killing outside his South St. Paul home — a murder that was over stolen marijuana and that one of King’s two young children witnessed through a window.

Andrew Michael Fisher and Tre Manuel Iglesias (Courtesy of the Dakota County sheriff’s office)

They spoke about how King was a loving father to his two sons and of the anguish and heartache they all experience every day because of Iglesias and Andrew Michael Fisher, who fired a lone shot, hitting the 26-year-old in the chest.

King may have taken his last breath, “but you didn’t take mine,” Bobbi Martin, King’s former girlfriend and the mother of his children, said in her victim impact statement. “And I’ll always be here speaking on his behalf for the person that’s no longer with us. A role I wish I didn’t have to take on.”

Judge Stacey Sorensen Green sentenced Iglesias to 12½ years in prison for second-degree aiding and abetting unintentional murder. Iglesias, 24, of St. Paul, will receive credit for 665 days already served in custody.

The sentence was the maximum allowed under Iglesias’ plea agreement with prosecution.

King went outside to go after Fisher, who had grabbed a bag of marijuana off King’s table and ran out of the home. Fisher turned around and fired once, hitting King in the chest. Fisher and Iglesias sped away.

Assistant Dakota County Attorney Caitlyn Prokopowicz said in court Thursday that the evidence showed Iglesias set up what was to be a marijuana purchase from King and that Iglesias brought a gun with him.

“Your Honor, Mr. Iglesias was the driver who drove away and left Mr. King to die in front of his 4-year-old child,” Prokopowicz said.

Fisher, 21, of Cambridge, Minn., was sentenced to just shy of 13 years in prison in August 2024 after pleading guilty to the same charge. He reached a plea deal after the prosecution offered the length of his prison term.

Neighbor witnessed shooting

According to court documents, Fisher and Iglesias went to King’s home in the 400 block of Third Avenue South on Nov. 24, 2023. After Fisher grabbed the marijuana, he and Iglesias ran. King was close behind. Fisher, while standing on the sidewalk, turned and shot King, and they fled the scene in Iglesias’ vehicle.

A neighbor told police it was just before 5 p.m. when he heard someone outside yell, “shoot him,” so he ran to his front window and saw three people moving quickly down the street. He said as the two men moved past a car parked in the street, one of them turned around and shot King, who fell to the ground and rolled in front of the car.

The neighbor said the two men, who were wearing dark-colored hoodies, got into an older, black Chevrolet sedan. He called 911 and provided aid to King, who was lying in the street. He was unarmed.

Avontae Troy King, 26, was fatally shot outside his South St. Paul home Nov. 24, 2023. (Courtesy of Bobbi Martin)

King did not have a pulse when police arrived on scene. He was pronounced dead at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

Later that night, Iglesias reported to law enforcement that he was there during the shooting.

Iglesias told investigators that Fisher had been staying on his couch for the last week. He said Fisher asked him for a ride and that they went to the South St. Paul home. He said Fisher, while standing on the sidewalk near the grassy part of the curb, shot King. Iglesias said he drove the car from the scene, according to the charges.

‘Robbed’ of fatherhood

King was kind, loving, selfless and humble, said his mother and stepfather, Tanasha and Antone Beale, in a victim impact statement read in court by Prokopowicz.

King, the oldest brother to his three siblings, “was special and had a gift to make you feel good whenever he came around you. You just felt better because of his presence,” the statement said.

To Fisher and Inglesias, they said, ‘How dare you! How dare you take the life of our son from us! Who or what gave you the right to do so? Not only did you steal our son from us, you also stole a father from his children. … You ought to be ashamed of yourself for the crimes you committed.”

King’s aunt Monique King recalled how whenever he would call or see her, he would say, “Hello, my lady” and that it made her feel special.

“Then come to find out, he would address his mother and grandmother the same way,” his aunt said in her victim impact statement, which was read by the prosecutor. “But looking at it, it just showed his respect and character for the women he loved in his life and how he would make us feel so special and loved.”

Martin, the mother of his children, Giovanni and Leonato, now 5 and 3 years old, said he always wanted to have his own family. His kids “gave him hope and changed our lives around, she said. “He prayed for a reason to live, to be a dad, to feel joy. And now he was robbed of the true experience that comes with fatherhood.”

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An essential service is alive and well again in St. Paul after a summer cyberattack.

Public internet access has been restored at all St. Paul Public Library locations and recreation centers after the city initiated a full system shutdown in response to a July ransomware attack, the city announced Thursday.

“The restoration of our public internet network took an incredible amount of work and marks a huge milestone in our recovery,” said  Mayor Melvin Carter in a news release. “For so many of our residents, this connection is a lifeline to work, education, applying for jobs, and seeking opportunity.”

In late July, Carter declared a state of emergency following a days-long cyberattack on the city’s internet-based computer networks that led officials to call in the FBI and Gov. Tim Walz to enlist the Minnesota National Guard’s cybersecurity experts.

In response to the attack, city officials conducted a precautionary “complete network shutdown” of its Wi-Fi and internet-based systems, from public computer terminals within the St. Paul libraries to key networks at City Hall. The move disrupted city services, though officials said it was necessary to stop the hackers from doing more damage.

Strengthened safeguards

As of Thursday, city staff had restored certain systems, including public internet access, after they thoroughly tested, validated and secured them with modern safeguards.

“Reliable internet in our libraries has never been more important,” said Deputy Library Director Rebecca Ryan in the city’s statement.

Thousands of St. Paul residents rely on the city’s internet service to stay connected to family and seniors, to do research for schoolwork and to apply for jobs and complete training.

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In addition to restoring internet service, strengthened safeguards were put in place including: Segmented and secure public internet traffic that is entirely separated from the city’s internal networks, simpler access with fewer steps and logins and an open network that ensures residents seeking public access can safely access it.

“Whether it’s a teen connecting after school or a family using our recreation centers together, restoring public internet access ensures its available where community happens,” said Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez. “This is a critical step forward for equity across our neighborhoods.”

This week the city also launched its new permitting and licensing platform, PAULIE. Other restored systems include financial and payment platforms, geographic information systems, telephones and email, legislative and public meeting systems.

City officials said no ransom was ever paid to the cyberattackers, who posted some of the hacked data online. Investigators said the information was not sensitive.

Grammy-winning opera star Joyce DiDonato joins the Minnesota Orchestra for its opening weekend of performances, sharing her magnificent vocal span, warmth and agility in a performance of Hector Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été (Summer Nights). Conducted by Thomas Søndergård, the orchestra wows in its performance of the Suite from “Der Rosenkavalier” (The Knight of the Rose-Bearer) by Richard Strauss, Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to “Candide” and an homage to H.P. Lovecraft by Guillaume Connesson.

After upholding the tradition of performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” for opening weekend, the orchestra performs Bernstein’s feisty “Candide” overture, played at a fast and sprightly clip. With its swirling strings, cartoonish percussive rhythms, whimsical winds and a lush melody halfway through introduced by the viola section, it’s a work that’s at once peppy and magnetic.

Three-time Grammy Award winner Joyce DiDonato performs with the Minnesota Orchestra on Sept. 18-19, 2025 at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, conducted by music director Thomas Søndergård. (Salvá Lopez / Minnesota Orchestra)

The program devotes the rest of the first act to Berlioz’s “Summer Nights,” a work the French composer set to six poems by his friend and neighbor Théophile Gautier. Ranging in tone from sweet vignettes and aromatic memories to deep anguish and loss, the songs evoke sweeping emotion channeled by the poised and confident DiDonato.

DiDonato and Søndergård made quite the pair standing next to each other — the singer facing the audience and the conductor facing the orchestra, in tune with each other as they brought Berlioz’s expressive music to life.

As a performer, DiDonato is expressive with both her resonant, articulate voice and her face and physicality. Gautier’s poetry is rich in imagery, as in “Le spectre de la rose” (The Ghost of the Rose), sung from the perspective of a dead rose plucked by a beautiful girl, its scent remaining on her breast.

There’s intensity and fierce drama as well, especially in the lament, “Sur Les Lagunes” (On the Lagoons), about a seaman mourning his dead lover. Displaying quite a vocal range in the tune, DiDonato’s voice becomes a piercing wail on the “ah! sans amour!” lines, producing chills. The sadness continues after that in “Assenza” (Absence), with the orchestra’s accompaniment, led by Søndergård, finding subtle nuance and richness.

Addressing the audience after performing the song cycle, DiDonato, a Kansas City native who makes her debut with the Minnesota Orchestra this week, gushed about the full house for an 11 a.m. performance.

“I celebrate you for having a full hall, for having a world class orchestra that shows up and plays with all their heart, and who leads and shows how to face difficult times,” she said. “We come together, we search out harmony, and we look for that place here that feels like home.” She closed with a luxurious encore: “Oh Shenandoah.”

After intermission, the orchestra performs the first movement of “Les Cités de Lovecraft,” titled “Céléphaïs,” by French composer Guillaume Connesson (2017).

The work brings to life a city created by the horror and fantasy writer H.P. Lovecraft’s “Dream Cycle” series. Splashing with a startling sound as it opens, the piece bursts with potent vigor. The strings sound like sirens at times, and skipping rhythms, competing melodies and ethereal wanderings make up for the densely packed music.

Finally, the orchestra performs the Suite from Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier,” a terrific piece that continues the build from the previous numbers, displaying a rich and delightful sound. The suite gives an abbreviated musical narrative to the larger opera, telling the story of two older characters vying for the affection of two younger ones, who fall for each other. The music brings out the theatricality of the story— from  passionate love scenes, tender meet-cutes, to comic waltzes and a grand finish.

Altogether, the program made for an invigorating conclusion—story-filled, whimsical, anguished and exuberant.

If you go

What: Søndergård, DiDonato and Strauss

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

Tickets: $55-$125; minnesotaorchestra.org

Capsule: Coloratura Mezzo-Soprano Joyce DiDonato joins Thomas Søndergård and the Minnesota Orchestra for a rousing season opener.

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