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Aug 20, 2007 7:08 AM

Three employees of Genesis Petroleum Inc, a Fort Lauderdale FL, trucking company, were sentenced August 9 to serve five years probation each as a result of their prior guilty pleas to charges of violating federal hazardous material transportation (hazmat) regulations by hauling and storing gasoline and diesel fuel without required safeguards, according to information from the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (OIG).

Company drivers submitted false delivery receipts stating they had delivered fuel to their customers, when in fact, they diverted 11,000 gallons of fuel to illegal tanks located in a vacant lot leased by Mejia near Port Everglades. The fuel was used by Genesis employees, their relatives, and friends for personal and business use, according to the OIG information.

Leonel San Martin, Alberto Alvarez, and Yoel Betancourt, pleaded guilty May 31 to charges of conspiring to commit wire fraud and failing to properly placard, store, transport, transfer, and handle fuel transported from terminals at Port Everglades Fl to customers between Key West and Fort Pierce FL, according to the OIG information.

Another Genesis Petroleum Inc employee, Noel Delgado-Hernandez, was sentenced August 3 to five years probation as a result of his guilty plea on similar charges. Genesis and its director, Ricardo Mejia, are scheduled for sentencing September 10, according to the information.