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

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

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…

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