Multiple people charged for interstate transportation of stolen cooking oil to be converted to biodiesel

Multiple individuals were charged in connection with a scheme to steal cooking oil from restaurants throughout the South and the Midwest for resale as biodiesel fuel, officials say.

On December 9, 2025, a federal grand jury in Des Moines returned a nine-count indictment charging several people with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit the offense of interstate transportation of stolen property, and money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Officials say that the defendants used trucks to steal used cooking oil from collection tanks located at restaurants throughout Iowa, Tennessee, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kentucky.

The stolen cooking oil was then transported to warehouses in Nevada and Ankeny, Iowa; Lewisburg, Tennessee; Dora, Alabama; and Tipp City, Ohio.

The used cooking oil was refined into biodiesel fuel and re-sold, officials said, and the proceeds from the scheme were laundered.

See below for more information on the charged individuals:

• Tianzhu Chen, 33, of Flushing, New York, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property, and two counts of money laundering.
• Jingliu Chen, 55, of Flushing, New York, is charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
• Yong Chen, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property.
• Xian Quan Guo, 48, of Des Moines, Iowa, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
• Jianfa Huang, 40, of Des Moines, Iowa, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
• Fukang Wang, 37, of Staten Island, New York, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
• Futao Wang, 36, of Des Moines, Iowa, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
• Jie Wang, 30, of Dayton, Ohio, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
• Xiangjing Wang, 34, of Des Moines, Iowa, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property.
• Danrong Zhang, 38, of Flushing, New York, is charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate and money laundering.
• Changxu Zou, 41, of Tulia, Texas, is charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
• Changyu Zou, 38, of Edmond, Oklahoma, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
• Wenrong Zou, 32, of Edmond, Oklahoma, is charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate

Agencies assisting with this investigation include the Central Iowa Gang Task Force of the FBI Des Moines Resident Agency of the Omaha Field Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Story County Sheriff’s Office, Des Moines Police Department, West Des Moines Police Department, Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa Department of Transportation, Gahanna, Ohio Police Department, Cullman, Alabama Police Department, Springfield, Illinois, Police Department, 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force in Tennessee, FBI Dayton Resident Agency of the Cincinnati Field Office, FBI Lexington Resident Agency of the Springfield Field Office, FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, FBI New York City Field Office, FBI Birmingham Field Office, FBI Amarillo Resident Agency of the Dallas Field Office, FBI Language Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency.