Lawsuit: 1M Gallons of Freedom Fuel Was Stolen

Discount gas hailed by President Trump as a patriotic bargain is now at the center of a $4 million theft allegation, Politico reports. In a federal lawsuit filed Aug. 19, Georgia-based Mansfield Oil says KRSM Inc. lifted more than 1 million gallons of fuel from a Sunoco terminal in Pennsylvania on Mansfield's account and never paid, then supplied some of it to stations in the Freedom Fuel Network—which Trump promoted over July Fourth for selling $3.47-a-gallon gas "because they love the USA." Mansfield's lawyer says, "That is not an accounting dispute." KRSM calls it exactly that, blaming "misplaced" invoices and declining further comment.

The lawsuit says the mystery of the below-market prices is solved, per the Washington Post. "KRSM was able to sell such fuel for such low prices and garner such publicity because it never paid Plaintiff for such fuel." The White House says it has had "zero contact" with KRSM or its president, Syed Kazmi. Politico previously tied several Freedom Fuel locations to Kasmi's brother, New Jersey fuel operator Shamikh Kazmi. Companies linked to the brothers have been hit with civil cases over unpaid fuel and, in KRSM's case, allegedly stolen cigarettes, resulting in judgments against them. The new suit also claims KRSM is not authorized to do business in Pennsylvania or New Jersey.