Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
A Hobbs man is accused of using his former employer's gas card to rack up more than $1.2 million in gasoline charges over several years since leaving the company.
David Rochel, 50, is charged with six counts of fraudulent use of an illegally obtained credit card of over $20,000 and one count of theft of a credit card in the case.
An attorney for Rochel could not be reached Tuesday.
Although the fraudulent charges were ongoing for years, court records show more than $120,000 in diesel fuel was charged to the company card between October 2021 and March 2022.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Eddy County Magistrate Court:
The Eddy County Sheriff's Office began investigating in March after an employee with Carlsbad-based Constructors Inc. reported hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen from a company credit card. They reported the card was used at numerous Brewer Oil Co. fleet stations and identified a suspect in a truck seen filling several large tanks with diesel fuel.
Then, on April 4, a Brewer employee told deputies that a man in Artesia had requested a new gas card — and turned over the card used in the thefts. Deputies traced the man's phone number to Rochel and learned he had worked for Constructors Inc. until 2013 and had a truck matching the one seen using the company card to fuel up.
Rochel told deputies he gave his gas card back after leaving the company and never lent it to anyone.
Deputies told Rochel "it was time he owns up to his mistakes" and that more than $1 million of diesel had been charged to the card.
"We explained everyone makes mistakes when they fall (on) hard times," according to the affidavit.
Deputies said Rochel then got "quiet and somber," and asked what kind of deal they could get him with the District Attorney's Office before requesting a lawyer.
Deputies spoke with Rochel again Aug. 30, advised him criminal charges were imminent and asked for "his side of the story." Rochel allegedly told them he "didn't use it too many times."
