LAKELAND, FL – With the arrest of five people this week, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said his office has only made a dent in the organized racketeering that's occurring at the gas pump.

Working with Florida Department of Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Judd said his office wrapped up a four-month investigation into a sophisticated organized crime syndicate involving fuel pump skimmers, counterfeit credit cards and the theft of gasoline and diesel fuel. Skimming devices allow thieves to electronically copy the credit cards of customers who pay for gas at the pump. That stolen credit card information is then transferred to counterfeit credit cards used to purchase large amounts of gas and diesel fuel, which is subsequently sold to unscrupulous vendors in Hillsborough and Polk counties at a discounted prices.

Arrested Tuesday, March 20, were 26-year-old Yosel Menendez-Corrales, 34-year-old Victor Alvarez Cano, 49-year-old Diosdado Gonzalez Morejon, 41-year-old Marie Carmen Serrano Abril and 41-year-old Frank Perez. Detectives are still trying to locate 55-year old Carlos Gonzalez, who may be in Haines City or Miami areas. Mendez-Corrales, Morejon and Perez are charged with racketeering. They have no prior criminal history.

Cano is also charged with racketeering. He has two felony convictions for forgery and fraud. He was also arrested in Alachua County in 2015 for being in possession of modified gift cards, eight skimming devices and several gas pump keys. Gonzalez is charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. He has eight felony convictions ranging from drug trafficking to cock fighting.

Abril is charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. She has two felony convictions for drug trafficking.

Judd said the investigation began on Dec. 11 after witnesses spotted Corrales and Cano reportedly tinkering with a fuel pump's keypad at the Sunoco gas station in Polk City.

From there, detectives conducted surveillance, collected evidence and served search warrants on a house at 3604 Cork Road in Plant City, owned by a company called Investment ORM Three Brothers Corp. of Miami, and a house at 5414 Greenfield Acres, Lakeland. At those houses, detectives confiscated a laptop computer, fuel gauges, nozzles and gift cards. Putnam said the crime isn't confined to Polk County.