Florida man racks up $4,000 on company card with 74 unauthorized gas station trips in a month, deputies say

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man was arrested after he was caught using his company's credit card to fill up his personal car's gas tank 74 times in the span of a month, totaling nearly $4,000, according to deputies. 

Robert Dearth, 71, was arrested Thursday and charged with felony larceny, according to arrest records from Flagler County. 

Dearth started working at Salescorp USA based in Wildwood back in August 2022 as a part-time delivery driver, according to an arrest affidavit. Whenever the company-owned truck needed gas, Dearth would use the company's gas card and fill it up. He's supposed to return the card to the office after filling up, but allegedly, he didn't. 

The 71-year-old man allegedly used his company's card 74 times at 12 different gas stations across Sumter County between Sept. 12 and Oct. 17, according to the affidavit. He would fill up his personal vehicle, a 2013 Kia SUV, with unleaded gas "when he did not have permission to do so," deputies said. 

It should be noted that the company-owned truck only uses diesel fuel. 

Photo: Sumter County Sheriffs Office

All of Dearth's unauthorized transactions added up to $3,822.88, according to deputies. 

"A representative from the company completed a sworn written statement and signed an Intent to Prosecute form," the affidavit said. 

Dearth was also caught on surveillance footage from a 7-Eleven gas station in The Villages using the company fuel card to gas up his personal car on at least seven different dates, the affidavit continued. There was also one occasion when Dearth allegedly filled up portable gas cans. 

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On Thursday, Dearth met with deputies for an interview where he was read his Miranda Warnings and agreed to speak with detectives. What he said was not made immediately available by the Sumter County Sheriff's Office, but he was arrested and transported to the Sumter County Detention Center. 

He was released later that day after posting $2,000 bond.