A 41-year-old Pittsford woman has pleaded guilty to concealing knowledge of a felony involving the theft and shipment of used cooking oil, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York.
Fangfang Yan, 41, of Shanxi, China, and Pittsford, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
What prosecutors say happened
According to prosecutors, Guodeng Chen and Didi Huang arranged for 45,000 pounds of stolen used cooking oil to be shipped from the Western District of New York to a refinery in Erie, Pennsylvania, on April 8, 2022. They received $29,433.60 for the shipment.
On April 28, 2022, Chen and Huang arranged for another 45,000
pounds of stolen used cooking oil to be shipped to the same refinery and received $30,618.
Prosecutors said Yan knew Chen and Huang were transporting stolen cooking oil but did not notify federal authorities.
On May 6, 2022, investigators questioned Yan about Chen and Huang's activities. Prosecutors said she refused to answer questions in an effort to conceal their crimes.
Investigation and sentencing
The case was investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Homeland Security Investigations, New York State Police and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire is prosecuting the case.
Yan is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 1, 2026, before Geraci.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Pittsford woman pleads guilty in stolen cooking oil scheme
