Texarkana, Texas – A North Richland Hills, Texas, man faces multiple felony charges in Bowie County after he allegedly stole several gallons of red-dyed diesel from a construction site in Bowie County.
Edward Kampras was charged with four felony counts of violating motor vehicle fuel tax regulations and one felony count of unlawful use of criminal instruments. He allegedly stole it from a hospital construction site at 2300 University Avenue, the former Wadley Hospital in Texarkana, Texas, in 2023.
The use of red-dyed diesel is only allowed on construction projects in Texas, and not on commercial or private vehicles on the road, according to an affidavit from an investigator with the Texas Comptroller’s Division of Criminal Investigation. do not have.
In September, police in Texarkana, Texas, notified the Texas Comptroller’s Office regarding the 2023 theft charges. The video showed Campras fleeing the scene after a construction worker reported seeing him stealing about 60 gallons of red diesel in broad daylight.
The suspect left behind something that damaged construction materials.
Campras pleaded guilty to property theft in April and served 180 days in Bowie County Jail, according to court documents.
“Vehicles used to transport and dispense such illegally diverted fuel are typically unregulated and can pose a danger to communities and the environment,” according to the affidavit.
Campras faces four counts of violating motor vehicle fuel regulations and one count of unlawful use of an instrument, each of which could result in a sentence of two to 10 years in a Texas prison.
He also faces a fine for each charge and possible compensation for damaging building materials. Campras was arrested in 2024 on charges of theft and evading arrest in multiple jurisdictions, according to the Texas crime database.
Diesel is colored red to warn that it is only permitted for use on off-road vehicles. There is no tax involved.
