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Edward D. Melillo, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of History and Environmental Studies, Amherst College

Criminal conspiracy to steal used cooking oil shows how trash can become treasure

A restaurant owner looks at a tank for collecting used cooking oil. Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images

Federal prosecutors recently described an interstate criminal enterprise with all the trappings of organized crime: clandestine warehouses, money laundering and stolen goods transported across state lines. The mid-September 2026 announcement stated that 19 defendants faced charges; two had just pleaded guilty, while the remainder are slated for trial in April 2027.

The stolen material was not drugs, guns or jewels. It was leftover cooking oil.

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