The Financial Crimes Intelligence Center is located in Tyler, where daily operations are overseen by the Smith County District Attorney’s Office. The FCIC is operated by Smith County through a reimbursement contract with TDLR. (Contributed Photo)

Duniesky Gonzalez, 38, a Cuban national, was sentenced to 50 years in prison last week for engaging in organized criminal activity.

Gonzalez was part of an organized criminal group accused of stealing diesel fuel via fraudulent credit card information and using pulser tampering devices on motor fuel dispensers.

A pulser is part of the motor fuel metering system that counts fuel flow and determines the amount of fuel flow per penny. The criminal tampering device slows down the pulser, allowing suspects to pump hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel for pennies on the dollar.

The criminal investigation found that the group stole over 10,000 gallons of fuel from gas stations in nine counties across Texas.

The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center in Tyler, coordinating with 15 law enforcement agencies across the state, helped organize the case that led to the conviction.

Investigator Mickey Kimbrow from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts took a lead role in the case, investigating Texas Tax Code violations. The Smith County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case under Texas Penal Code Chapter 71.02.

The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, which coordinates law enforcement investigations into organized financial fraud, opened in Tyler in January 2022.

The center – the first of its kind in the United States – was created by House Bill 2106 in the 87th Texas Legislature. It is a partnership between the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and the Smith County District Attorney’s Office.

TDLR provides regulatory oversight for various occupations, businesses, facilities and equipment in Texas. The agency protects the health and safety of Texans by ensuring qualified, licensed professionals serve them. To safeguard the public, TDLR regularly inspects individuals, businesses and equipment.

Currently, the agency regulates 38 business and occupational licensing programs with almost 1,000,000 licensees across the state.