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Orange Police Department
These are the buckets Yunus Latif used to fill up gas in Orange. He planned to take them to his friends and neighbors in Queens, N.Y.
Police arrested two men on Sunday for their involvement in alleged gas hoarding in Connecticut.
Police say Yunus Latif, 47, of Richmond Hill, Queens, filled 30 five-gallon plastic tubs with four gallons of gas each at a station in Orange, Conn., with the intention of bringing it back to neighbors in New York.
Fuel shortage expected to last for days, Cuomo says
A witness told police they saw Latif loading up plastic containers filled with gas into his truck. When police arrived, they discovered the tubs with gas loaded in the back of the truck. The plastic lids were expanding, police say.
Gas can only be transported in Department of Transportation-approved containers.
Full coverage of Sandy's aftermath
Police also arrested the attendant at the gas station, 41-year-old Muniruzzaman Gomosta, who sold the gas to Latif but said he did not realize he was buying so much gas because the store was busy.
They were both issued misdemeanor summonses for violation of regulation concerning flammable or combustible liquids
NBCConnecticut.com reported that Latif and Gomosta are expected to appear in court on November 19.
Gas lines continue to stretch onto highways as New Jerseyans try to get back to normal following Sandy. NBC's Richard Lui reports.
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Well, the headline says hoarding. But it doesn't say they were charged with that. Clearly the way he was transporting it was a problem, but besides that I don't see how they could charge them with anything else unless there was some legally designated rationing limit. As far as taking it across the state line I'm not sure that is necessarily an issue either unless it was with the intent to sell it. Seems to me that anybody who lives close to a state border does it all the time in their tank.
But regardless, arresting the guy who was going to transport it, probably saved his life! It sounds like these were those storage containers with the big ill fitting tops. I can't imagine he could have kept it from sloshing out. Sounds like a flaming disaster waiting to happen down the road.
My guess is that the guy was planning on selling the gas for a hefty profit when he got back home, but that will be impossible for the authorities to prove. Unless there was some kind of rationing in effect, the only thing they can charge him with is transporting gas in unapproved containers. Unless the attendant actually saw the containers the guy was using, or there was rationing in effect, I do not see how they can charge him with anything. In most gas stations the attendant never leaves the counter inside, so I doubt he even knew what containers the guy was using. My guess is that the police arrested these guys because there was a crowd getting upset over the amount of gas the guy was buying and they wanted to avoid a riot. I would not be surprised if the charges against the attendant are dropped (assuming there was no rationing in effect) and the guy buying the gas ends up paying a fine and that is it. Since the article make no mention of rationing, I can only assume that there was none in effect. The headline on the article is extremely misleading since there was no charge of hoarding made against either man. The headline was just typical NBC BS to get more people to read an article about a rather mundane container violation.
Whatever the reason, carrying volitile liquids in this quantity over any distance is a conflagration waiting to happen. My guess, from his name, he is probably Eastern European. Life is very hard over there and people use desperate measures. In Togo and Benin West Africa, refined gasoline is sold in glass jars from roadside stands. I am glad the police stopped him but, they might have helped him devise a safer way of transporting the gas if he was actually trying to help his community. Thank G-d we have municipalities that limit the handling of certain substances... In many other places, those "regulatory bodies" are as poor and desperate as the local citizens....
It's good for him that they got him at the station. If he had been traveling on a public highway he would have been charged with a hazmat violation, probably several. The weight and quantity would have required documentation as a hazardous material, liquid flammable, and the vehicle would be required to display properly placed hazmat placards, he would have been required to show a Commercial Drviers License, with a hazardous material endorsement, and a training certificate from a motor carrier licensed to transport hazardous materials.
1NewDay - Hoarding will get a lot more clicks. Ad revenue before content.
Gas in plastic containers.
Brilliant. Next time why don't they just pour it on the street?
How could the attendant not have figured out something was up when the guy's bill had to have been over $500??? 120 gallons in the buckets alone, plus whatever he likely put into his own vehicle!
I'm amazed the guy didn't burn down the entire neighborhood. what an idiot.
1NewDay, JS in SD, et al. Nothing like Monday morning armchair lawyers! The authorities obviously have a case or they would not have issues misdemeanor summons. Unless you have a law degree and practice in that area, you don't have a clue, so why speculate?
@scales, are you really that ignorant? Cops will often issue summons even if they don't have a case. This is because they know the DA will pressure the defendant to plea out. And they also do it to 'harass' the 'defendant' because the defendant is doing something that isn't quite kosher but isn't breaking the law.
In this case, the defendant is clearly doing something very dangerous and stupid. They do have a case here as it is clearly against DOT regulations, but even if they didn't, they would have charged him with something just to stop him.
Derek - Many DOT approved containers are plastic. Indeed, I haven't seen a metal one in a long time. The problem is the type of plastic. The article said that the lids were swelling. There must have been some sort of reaction going on inside of those buckets. That is why there are approved containers, so that there are no chemical reactions with the container, or the container does not dissolve and leak.
I believe if they had used the approved red DOT containers for containing gasoline, that there would have been no problem. The gas station attendant would not have charged at the very least.
I have a 120 gallon reserve tank on my pickup and two 22 gallon tanks supplied by the manufacturer. I see where it is very possible to have a truck load a tremendous amount of gasoline. I would definitely want all of my fuel tanks filled up, especially since I have a pump on the tank to fill my welder/generator. I have red DOT approved gasoline containers as well, made of both metal and plastic. WW Grainger sells both types.
If I lived in that area, I could have easily pumped out fuel to legal gas containers to be used in generators or even in cars. It is important to be rational in these circumstances.
The people putting the gasoline into regular plastic 5 gallon buckets were in clear violation of the law. Hauling gasoline that way is also a violation.
Unless gasoline was being rationed or limited somehow, the title of
is totally false. It should have been something about the useage of illegal containers for the storage of gasoline and subsequent transportation of gasoline over state lines in those containers.
The gas station attendant will probably be charged with letting them put gasoline into non-approved containers only.
The main charges should be against the people filling the non-approved containers and transporting them over state lines. That was totally un-safe and could have easily let to extreme danger and a disastrous fire if there had been an accident or leaking gas had caught fire.
Yunus Latif is a muslim name from South East Asia.
I hope the cops are looking a little more deeply into what he was planning to do with all that flammable liquid.
It also sounds like he was 1) either trying to truly help his neighbors was my first thought, or 2) collecting that much gas to take back to Queens to sell at a large profit or 3) getting ready to make many Molotov Cocktails, LOL
gm Jack,
Those damned profiteers. He probably woulda made $250 profit for waiting in line for 4 hours.
4. or just one very big one................
GM Bill and Scooter
Seems some are out and about with enthusiasm on how to make a buck or destroy something!
The worst Idea ever. Sloshing gas out of buckets to either sell to others or transfer into a different tank or container is a very dangerous practice. The fumes and leaks are a ticking time bomb. When one container goes, they will all detonate like huge bombs. There's a reason you are paying more then $15 for a safe container to store and transport fuel. They safely vent dangerous fumes and are spill proof.
From hoarder to Mobile fireworks display , ah Homo erectus the genome has never been prouder !
@denverbill... $250 cash (unreported income) for 4 hours work is pretty good if you are working minimum wage or even better if unemployed.
It's a shame what some people will do to make a buck. I really don't think it was for the neighbors.
Well now that this case is solved these officers can get back to locating Jimmy Hoffa... big case, Promotions For Everyone!
Just a note: I am commenting from Seattle, WA, where I accessed this story on the "major stories" area on MSN; is it me or does this seem a little ridiculous? Initially I though was going to read about some guys organizing some large storage tanks and then selling at extremely inflated prices. Instead I read about a Puerto Rican Dude trying to make a couple of bucks off his neighbors, whats the big deal? He wasn't arrested for "Hoarding" as this hack writer states, he was arrested or TICKETED for illegal containers, and the store owner/worker was ticketed for selling to someone using improper containers, nothing else....and they call this "News", what a joke. I really hate it when these "New Organizations" purposely mislead the reader by sensationalizing a bulls|t story. All it really does is demonstrate that there is NO INTEGRITY IN MAIN LINE NEWS AGENCIES ANYMORE, they blatantly lie to the public everyday about things that actually affect our lives, and that is where the problem lies, as these guys lie for the government and Politicians to mislead us and manipulate us and this is going to eventually lead to an angry public that is going to seek their own justice, because they know damn well they will NEVER get justice if they rely on government and the courts to exact justice, which is the ONLY WAY that JUSTICE will ever be realized.
gotta sell ad space somehow i guess...........
Seattle, nice place beautiful scenery, did a aerospace gig up there about a year ago. then ran up to bonda...something , for alcoa ....great drive
People behaving badly or stupidly isn't much of a story, however, if this had gone as badly (think explosion and fireball) then it would have really been a story.
YES! Just what we need... Another crisis.. Thank G-d someone intervened before you "got your real story". People being killed isn't really "news" either. It happens all the time. It is just gorier and gore... Thats the ticket... People just LOVE blood and guts... Disgusting.
Hay dude where in hell did you get the info he was Puerto Rican, with a Jewish name what the hell, stop being a bigot.
It got you to click on the story and NBC got their ad revenue. Where's the problem? They're just a website trying to make a buck.
The headline states, "Cops: 2 arrested over alleged gas hoarding..." So this is not just misleading. It is an outright lie. The cops NEVER said that. This isn't just a website trying to make a buck. This is a news agency that should be held to a higher standard. Instead we get slimy methods to get us to look. The news is way too skewed anymore.
Want Republicans cast in a good light? Go to Fox. Want Democrats cast in a good light? Check NBC. Want lame-o troll methods to attract readers? Check them all. Sucks.
Can you imagine what would happen if the power grid that feeds the entire USA went down.There would be mass riots in the streets with people killing each other to get to food and gas.Think about it,we are only a terrorist attack of massive failure away from total collaspe.
Think about it? All you have to do is tune in to "REVOLUTION" on NBC. The premise is that something has taken down all sources of power worldwide. Farfetched yes. But even just on a national level it's thought provoking. For those that don't think it would get this bad, look at what the areas heavily damaged by superstorm Sandy and how people are acting after a week with no power and reduced gasoline supplies (which makes me think of the issues related with 'Peak Oil' and the end of cheap oil).
From where I am in Oregon, I think that the people in Sandy Land are handling things quite well, all things considered. People helping their neighbors, volunteers handing out water and supplies, donations and benefit events going on. So people get cranky in the gas line. Obviously you weren't around during the 1970's gas shortages.
I'm just glad that they caught the guys--if it had blown up, the two with non-Anglo names would have been in real trouble, and, by thoughtless association, so would anyone with similar hard-to-pronounce-and-what-culture/ethnic-are-they? surnames.
John - Actually, not far-fetched at all. EMP's from massive solar flares in 1859, 1882, 1903 & 1940 kinda did just that - telegraph lines (and later phone lines) and fuses the world over burned, fried, etc. At that time there was no other "grid" but if there were a similar pulse today it would unquestionably fry more power transformers / substations than replacement parts exist for.
Do a search on "Carrington event"
1859,1882.. How will the left ever be able to blame it on climate change?
That's nice to imagine. But at this point, as long as there are electricians and engineers and plenty of people with the knowledge and training, the world will never be without electricity for very long. Grids may go down, but they can be repaired as well. The people who might really suffer are the ill, hurt or elderly who are in hospitals or have medical equipment in their home.
For the rest of us, it would be an inconvenience while we wait for repairs to take effect and an opportunity to find out which of our neighbors are the panicky, crazed, conspiracy theorist, nail-biting, world-ending types who like to stir people up...you know, kinda like the writer of this article.
Not to rock your boat or anything, but if only 10% of the substation transformers across the country were toasted in a single event, there aren't enough replacements on-hand to replace them in short order. As analysts have determined, something like the Carrington Event could actually throw a good percentage of the country into power-less-ness for several years. I suspect that major urban areas would receive whatever repair parts were available first, followed by the suburbs, and then the more rural parts of the country. Just gotta keep your fingers crossed that there is sufficient reaction time for a forced black-out to "unload" the equipment before a solar event hits. (It only takes minutes for it to travel from the sun to here)
John B the history channel said the other night at rate of consummation we will run out of oil in 64 years my grandkids will live that long. Now alternative energy sounds really good to me.
AkRandy - SOLAR FLARES have nothing to do with climate change. Stop being ...being ...a righty ummm ...something ..that would cause me to break CoH
It's 120 gallons of gas (7 fill-ups). No Story. So this yellow-journalist and his irresponsible editor had to make it one.
A more interesting story could have been had if they didn't catch him - "Fireball engulfs motorist in downtown tunnel"
I couldn't have said it better myself!
Yunus and Muniruzzaman were involved in the crime........isn't that amazing
Actually, I disagree from a public safety perspective. It is a story because many people impacted by the hurricane might not have approved gas cans and might put gasoline in a reactive plastic container since they just need the gas.
This story serves as a warning to people not smart enough to know that you only put gasoline approved plastic gas containers that are made of a special plastic that will not react with gasoline.
If you did not know that gasoline reacts with some plastics (as the article states the plastic containers they used was already starting to expand meaning a chemical reaction was taking place) then this article and this comment also educated you on the corrosive nature of gasoline on some non-approved plastics so it was a story though they could have written about how gas can eat plastic more.
These guys were about to have 120 gallons of gas spill on the roadway and in their truck on the way home when the containers failed.
And just another thought: What happens if someone rear-ends the truck which has a bed loaded with unapproved canisters of gasoline? Can you say "KA-BOOOOOM!!!"
more along the lines of " an unknown terrorist blew himself up in the tunnel..."
or "boom boom" out go their lights! - Again!
At 120 gallons..he was better off with 'three steel 55 gal drums' with the welded top and the hole opening for a hand pump. If going to his neighbors easy to pump out, if selling just sell the drum with fuel in it.
Mike277... Point. But how many homeonwers have a clue where to go buy 55 gallon steel drums? Clean ones you can put gas in? And where you buy a hand cranked pup for these? I grew up seeign these allt he time on farms and fleet garages, but it is not somethign you would find at a DYI store.
Update, they provided a picture.
These guys used the orange 5 gallon Home Depot Buckets with a snap on lid...not a smart move.
They did not use the red non-reactive Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) approved plastic cans for transporting gas.
The homer buckets are number 2 HDPE, which is the same material that is used in UL approved gas tanks.
The real problem is that the lids on those aren't made to seal in any sort of pressure.
arrest that do good-er since no one was looting this time.
I am so proud of humanity after Sandy. We were bad off here in NJ. It was heart warming to see everyone pull together.
In lieu of the fact the the containers he put the gas in were not gas cans and were already expanding by the time police arrived, it was a good thing that police stopped them before they got on the road and put their lives and other drivers in jeopardy.
The police action in this article has nothing to do with hurricane Sandy and the police would have done the same thing if these guys did this at any other time so the editors at here at this website obviously do not understand chemistry and exactly why the police stopped these guys when they did.
Gasoline is corrosive. Gas can react badly with some materials. If it’s in the wrong kind of plastic or rubber container its corrosive effects can weaken and rupture the container.
Put gasoline in the plastic containers these guys were using and the gasoline will react, eating away at the plastic and ultimately, the plastic will fail in a few minutes. Even though the plastic container they used is solid and the gasoline liquid, both are hydrocarbons and are both nonpolar.
The fact that the plastic containers they used (which were not gas containers) were expanding is evidence that all 30, 5 gallon containers each with 4 gallons of gas were about to rupture and fail. That means that while driving home to their 'neighbors', these guys might have released 120 gallons of gas out of the bed of their pickup truck. That is definitely a hazard and dangerous situation.
Approved plastic gas containers are made of a special plastic that will not react with gasoline. These containers are red in color and will have a Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) stamp on them.
The police were right to arrest these guys and also arrest the gas station attendant because he did not stop them from using unapproved plastic containers.
Without police intervention, these guys might have won the Darwin Award.
Even if the containers had not failed and the truck reached the destination, using gasoline contaminated with leached plastic could have a similar result as putting sugar in the gas tank, ruined engines.
Apparently, the pump-your-own-gas program has at least one shortfall.
Update, they provided a picture.
These guys used the orange 5 gallon Home Depot Buckets with a snap on lid...not a smart move. Not sure how reactive those are with gasoline.
Still, State law requires that gas only be transported in Department of Transportation-approved containers. The approved containers are built to withstand the increased pressure that occurs when gas heats up and expands, and are made to decrease the buildup of static electricity, which can cause an explosion or fire
They did not use the red non-reactive Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) approved plastic cans for transporting gas.
Even worse, from the picture of the buckets in their vehicle, they did not have them in the open bed of a pickup but had 120 gallons within the vehicle itself, in an enclosed space both in front and behind the seats!
Considering that gasoline does evaporate fairly quickly, the inside of that vehicle would quickly fill with fumes (especially on some of the buckets where the lid was not all the way secured from the picture). The gasoline vapor could be ignited by any spark...turning a drive home into a full scale explosion.
They definitely would have qualified for a Darwin award had the police not intervened.
Your distrust of his motive to help neighbors without evidence to the contrary says more about you than about him.
But I agree with JRS-619990 that stopping them was a smart move.
Imagine if they got in to an accident, that would have been one big fireball. Stupid is stupid does.
both of the crooks had good old american names....send them back
Hoarding? What the heck is hoarding. If he bought it then it was his. If he bought a lot of it he owned a lot of it. Is Mitt Romney hoarding millions of dollars? No that is his money. Is Donald Trump hoarding buildings? No those buildings are his. These guys bought the gas it is theirs.
wasn't charged with hoarding....
1.read article ...not just the headline
2. comprehend same
3. post
Cops: 2 arrested over alleged gas hoarding in Connecticut
what part of
are you haveing difficulty with?
Perhaps ?
Honestly if I was in that situation, I'd gladly pay extra for gas that was brought around...
Pay or no pay, he would have been providing something that is needed, which prompts the question... Why weren't the authorities already doing that, or something like it ? How tough would it be to send a truck around with a pump and fill people's cans/tanks, if they need it... Like they deliver oil. Almost sounds like gas stations are missing the boat to make some money, and they can do it safely.
These !@#$%% are selling the gas at a higher price somewhere else. A friend of mine told me that someone here in queens was trying to sell him one container full of gas at $15 the gallon. I hope they get a hefty fine.
In a reference back to the post about the nation being on one giant power grid...
I've said before how utterly stupid that is even if we weren't living in an era of terrorist attacks around the world. Hasn't anyone ever watched the Guinness Book of World Record domino effect?
DUH!!!
One bolt of lightening has already shut down the West Coast grid once, I believe. (Or was it East Coast?)
and only in america will they do something about this but turn a blind eye to those who are looting and raping during this whole fiasco.. it seems to me these guys are able to go to conneticut to solve getting gas but the government can not get gas trucks to come to ny.. wow amazing how stupid our so called government and law enforcement is.
If NBC isn't reporting looting and raping, then who is? Or is it going on anymore than it usually is in that part of the world? Last I read, there hadn't been any homicides there for days, and that made the news. (I would expect looters to be shot by homeowners.) And I don't see a "fiasco" from here--just a part of the country that got hit by a major storm and is cleaning up the aftermath.
What the heck kind of last names are these? Sick and tired of reading about these foreigners always up to something sneaky.
Tired of reading stereotypical comments like yours.
The cops saved this alleged aspiring "rocket scientist (for real after "kaboom") from a date with Darwin; and, elimination from the gene pool (a good thing, or a bad thing ?) ! This guy is unequivocally the poster child for why take-out coffee containers read "Hot coffee is hot," matchbooks saying, "Close cover before striking" "No smoking at the gas pump," etc. Sadly, we are surrounded with those who as the saying goes, "don't know how to pour piss out of a boot, even with the instructions on the heel." I suppose in a land where just a day ago a "mother" allegedly accidentally dropped their child into a zoo enclosure, to be mauled to death by wild dogs, in the scheme of things, it is not too surprising that one would fathom someone allegedly transporting 30 or so plastic paint cans of petrol in traffic, for whatever reason !
Would have been a huge fire ball with 120 gallons of gasoline if he got in even a minor wreck. Those plastic buckets are not cheap and the lids cost extra.
What kind of idiot transports gas in 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot? Probably the same type of moron I saw the other day pumping gas with a lit cigarette in his mouth while his friend stood next to him talking on a cell phone.
I'm so glad to sit in my car in Oregon, and have safety-trained gas station employees gainfully employed pumping my gas.
I'm pretty sure he was probably profiteering by gouging people. No other reason makes any sense.
Except that maybe he was trying to help his neighborhood. Sad how some people can only see the worst in society. Doing good does make sense.
Uh....kinda like the oil companies do?
It does make you think, a section of the US without power and what it does to everyone. Just think what would happen if it was the whole planet. I thought the people that prepare for this kind of thing were crazy, but now I am thinking they are smart. These guys did this to make money, you would be a fool to think otherwise.
Actually, the gas probably wasn't "reacting" with the plastic - both plastic fuel containers and 5 gallon plastic pails are made from polyethylene. More than likely it was simply expanding as it warmed from ground temperature to the ambient air temperature. (I've stored gas in sealed / lidded 5 gal pails for weeks while repairing fuel systems on cars and boats with no issues) That said, I would not want to be within 100 yards of that vehicle if it were in any sort of accident....................................
I have a thought, why was there so much looting with Katrina and not with Sandy??? Can anyone answer that??
"Hoarding"? Where is the hoarding in this case? The reporter is just inserting one of the the newest negative buzzwords given out by DHS to indicate a possible "terrorist".
I would expect more professionalism from a responsible news organization.