Woman figures out trick to get free gas for months; now faces felony theft charge
FILE- A person is seen pumping gas at a station. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
LINCOLN, Neb. – A Nebraska woman who found an unusual method to get free gasoline for months is now facing criminal charges.
The 45-year-old was arrested on March 6. She’s free on bond and has an April court hearing on felony theft charges.
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This scheme by the woman apparently went on for several months, the Associated Press reported. Investigators say that her crime cost the gas station almost $28,000.
Police learned of the matter in October 2023 when a loss-prevention manager notified authorities of a scam that happened at a gas station in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The company claimed to be unaware of a glitch that let people swipe a rewards card twice to put a gas pump into demonstration mode, which allows a customer to pump gas for free.
One card was used multiple times to get free gas, and authorities traced the card to the woman, who was spotted on video pumping gas on several visits between November 2022 and June 1, 2023.
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During that time, the woman used the rewards card 510 times and pumped more than 7,400 gallons of free gas, KOLN-TV in Nebraska reported.
The woman, who was not named, is also accused of letting another woman use her rewards card to get free gas for a fee.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.
Courtroom video shows stolen-car stop that turned into shooting at Chattanooga gas station
by WTVCThu, January 15, 2026 at 12:12 PM
Updated Thu, January 15, 2026 at 4:48 PM
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Photos: Hamilton Co. Jail / WTVC
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- Stolen car
- Shooting
- Chattanooga
- Hamilton County
- Deputies
- Felony stop
- Tadarius McDaniel
- Court hearing
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn — Prosecutors in Hamilton County court showed video of the moment deputies say a stolen-vehicle stop ended with shots fired at a Chattanooga gas station when the driver accelerated toward them last November.
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The footage played Thursday came from an affidavit tied to what happened at a Speedway gas station near the intersection of Highway 58 and Murray Hills Drive.
Deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office located a stolen Hyundai Sonata just after midnight and moved in to stop it around 1 a.m.
Deputies turned on their emergency lights and used patrol vehicles to try to block the stolen car before initiating a felony traffic stop, according to the affidavit, giving loud verbal commands were given to the driver and a passenger.
The affidavit says the driver then put the vehicle in drive and accelerated toward deputies standing outside their patrol vehicles. Deputies fired their service weapons “out of fear for their lives,” striking the driver, the document says.
The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Tadarius McDaniel, was taken to Erlanger Hospital downtown with injuries from the shooting. Investigators questioned the passenger, who was later released without charges.
McDaniel now faces several charges including two counts of attempted first degree murder of a police officer, theft of property over $2,500, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
During the court hearing, the defense argued deputies were not in imminent danger and pointed to what they say were failures to verify key evidence after the shooting.
But both deputies involved in the case testified Thursday morning saying they felt they were in danger.
“Were you under the belief that you were in danger at that point?
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay, What were you thinking at that point?”
“I thought he was going to attempt to drive through me, over me, or however he could to escape.”
The judge disagreed with the defense, and bound the case over to a grand jury for further action.
The judge also revoked McDaniel’s probation from an earlier case, and he is now expected to serve at least two years in prison while his legal proceedings continue.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is handling an independent review of the deputy-involved shooting before formal decisions are made on the deputies’ actions.
