Two arrested in Monroe for stealing used cooking oil from businesses

Posted By: EN Todayon: December 18, 2025In: General Energy News, Oil & Gas News

MONROE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A traffic stop by a Monroe police officer led to the disruption of what police call an unusual but increasingly common theft scheme targeting local businesses.

An officer stopped a van around 3 a.m. Dec. 18 displaying a fictitious license plate and, during the investigation, discovered a ‘substantial’ quantity of used cooking oil inside the vehicle.

Additional officers checked surrounding areas and located a grease container at Hathaway’s Fried Chicken on W. Roosevelt Blvd. where a lock had been cut and the container had been tampered with.

Officers were able to link the occupants of the van to two separate locations in Monroe where used grease waste had been stolen.

Dante Miller, of Concord, and Marc Williams, of New York, were arrested and charged with possession of burglar’s tools, felony larceny, injury to personal property, and conspiracy to commit a felony.

While the theft of used cooking oil may sound unusual, police say it has become an increasingly lucrative crime in recent years due to the oil’s value as a key ingredient in biodiesel production.