Fuel theft suspect incorrectly released

A Spokane man accused of stealing $100,000 worth of diesel fuel was released from the county jail Thursday because jail officials incorrectly believed he hadn’t been formally charged.

Court records show Arthur Leon “Lee” Eakin, 44, was charged Wednesday, within the 72-hour limit for holding a suspect without formal charges. But Eakin was released from jail Thursday afternoon when his 72 hours were up.

“I don’t know where the paperwork is, but it didn’t make it to jail, and it isn’t in city records,” sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Reagan said Friday night.

Eakin is charged with first-degree theft, use of false identification to commit a crime and first-degree trafficking in stolen property.

He allegedly pumped at least 33,000 gallons of diesel from two Spokane Pacific Pride self-service fuel stations, using an access card from his former employer, Scheckla Trucking, of Sheridan, Wyo. Police say he drove a chip truck out of the company’s Athol, Idaho, office in 2004 and kept his fuel card after his employment ended.

Spokane police Cpl. Tom Lee said detectives believe Eakin sold most of the fuel to “select customers” for $1 per gallon, and some of it was re-sold for twice that price in Stevens County. Anyone who may have purchased the stolen fuel is asked to call Detective Paul Lebsock at (509) 625-4028.