Man accused of charging employer for $18,000 worth of personal gasoline purchases

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Harris County man is facing time behind bars after authorities say he charged more than $18,000 worth of personal gasoline purchases to his company's credit card.

Brandon Fudge, 27, is charged with theft-aggregate. According to charging documents, Fudge, a truck driver for a northwest Harris County company, was using his business fuel credit card for personal reasons between September 2013 and May.

Documenents state that Fudge's boss became suspicious after he noticed the copmany's average monthly fuel cost increase by as much as $4,000. When he looked into it, he noticed that Fudge had been purchasing unleaded fuel even though all of the company's vehicles operate on diesel.

After all the statements were added up, the company determined Fudge had allegedly purchased 5,409 gallons of fuel at a total cost of $18,573.36.

When Fudge was confronted, he allegedly told his boss that he'd been meeting family members and his girlfriend at various stations across the Houston area and filling up their gas tanks with the company credit card in exchange for cash.

As a result, Fudge was charged with the felony theft charge.