Sanitation Department plumber hoarded stolen gasoline to prepare for 'another Sandy,' authorities allege

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Tottenville man who hoarded gasoline in poorly-sealed Poland Spring jugs outside his home had stolen that gas from the city Sanitation Department garage where he works to prepare for "another Sandy storm," authorities say.

On Wednesday, the city's Department of Investigation charged John Diberardino, 46, with several misdemeanors, alleging that he took 240 gallons of gasoline from the DSNY SI-2 Garage at 2500 Richmond Ave., over the past six months.

Diberardino admitted the theft to investigators, according to the criminal complaint against him, allegedly saying:

"I work as a plumber for the New York City Department of Sanitation. I admit for the last six months I stole approximately 200 gallons of gasoline from SI-2 Garage because I was stocking it at my residence for emergency purposes. I removed the gasoline in five-gallon gas containers which I owned. I then took the gas in my assigned Sanitation vehicle and drove it directly to my residence."

He also allegedly told investigators he was hoarding the gas in case Staten Island was hit by "another Sandy storm," which caused gasoline shortages for about two weeks.

Authorities learned of the alleged theft on April 13, when the FDNY got a call for a smell of gas on Dell Court. There, at Diberardino's house at 39 Dell Court, they found about 44 unsealed plastic containers, many of them Poland Spring water jugs capped with rubber gloves, filled with gasoline.

That sparked the arrival of three engines, two ladder companies, a rescue company and a hazardous materials unit, as well a response by the NYPD and the city's Department of Environmental.

After confirming that the liquid was, in fact gasoline, firefighters transferred it from the water jugs and gas canisters into two 85-gallon drums, one 55-gallon drum and one five-gallon drum for safety reasons, a DEP spokesman said.

DEP ordered the homeowner to hire a security guard to watch over the drums until a licensed contractor could arrive to remove and properly dispose of the flammable liquid inside, the spokesman said.

A team from Bayonne, N.J.-based Ken's Marine Service arrived to haul off the drums of gas at 11 a.m. April 14.

More here:
Sanitation Department plumber hoarded stolen gasoline to prepare for 'another Sandy,' authorities allege