$760K fuel-card fraud scheme tied to impersonated Michigan trucking company

Two Georgia men face federal charges in a $760,000 fuel-card fraud scheme involving a legitimate Michigan trucking company. Prosecutors accuse Mario Bailey and Zachary Walker of obtaining eight fuel cards through a fraudulent credit application. Fuel purchases spanned 23 states, contributing to an unpaid balance that included accrued interest. Federal court records identify Coyne Oil & Propane as the company that extended the credit. FreightWaves previously reported a separate $510,000 fuel-card fraud case involving fictitious fueling stations and fraudulent transactions.

The scheme began with an apartment rental in Detroit during July 2025, according to a federal indictment. Walker allegedly rented the apartment using an altered driver’s license bearing his real name and photograph. The indictment does not specify how the license was altered. The apartment later served as the delivery address for the fuel cards.

On Aug. 13, Bailey allegedly impersonated the owner of Voyager Express Inc., a Detroit-based interstate motor carrier. He submitted a credit application to Coyne Oil using an unauthorized Gmail address associated with the trucking company’s name. Voyager Express neither knew about nor approved the application, according to prosecutors. The request sought access to commercial fuel credit under the carrier’s identity. A separate $12 million cargo theft investigation also involved suspects accused of exploiting legitimate trucking company identities.

Coyne Oil approved the application and issued eight Pacific Pride fuel cards. The company mailed them to Walker’s rented Detroit apartment on Sept. 3, 2025. Walker subsequently arranged for Bailey to access the residence. Bailey retrieved the cards on Sept. 13, ten days after their mailing.

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