Two Illinois men, Xu Zilong, 50, and Wu Chenguin, 51, were taken into federal custody after Schererville police caught them siphoning waste cooking oil behind Social 219 Bar & Grill in the early hours of November 13, 2025.
Police reported that an officer first noticed a white box truck near U.S. Highway 30 around 12:05 a.m. After dispatch received a call about the theft, officers located the truck near U.S. 30 and U.S. 41. A traffic stop revealed Xu driving and Wu in the passenger seat. Brown liquid dripping from the truck led officers to discover a 1,600-gallon bulk tank, a gasoline-powered pump, and hoses, with about 300 gallons of oil inside. The men had no documentation or permission to collect the oil.
The bar owner confirmed repeated incidents of missing oil over the past several months and called 911 when he discovered the men in action. Xu reportedly admitted he “had not done this in awhile” and recognized the responding officer from a prior September 5, 2025 oil-theft stop.
Charges in Lake County:
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Xu Zilong: Assisting a Criminal (F6), Theft $750–$50,000 (F6), Operating a Commercial Vehicle Without a CDL (Infraction), Operating a Motor Vehicle in Violation of a Restricted License (Infraction), Leaky Load (Infraction)
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Wu Chenguin: Assisting a Criminal (F6), Theft $750–$50,000 (F6)
Prior Offenses: Xu faced a separate July 2025 case in Porter County for misdemeanor theft of used cooking oil and an infraction for driving a commercial vehicle without a CDL.
Both men are now in federal custody awaiting further proceedings.