Police Constable Pleads Not Guilty in $26,000 Department Fuel Card Theft Case

A police officer assigned to fleet duties has been charged with theft following an investigation into the alleged misuse of a Belize Police Department fuel card.   Investigators say nearly eighteen hundred gallons of fuel, valued at more than twenty-six thousand dollars, were obtained using the card over several months.  Police Constable Roberto Carlos Hoare appeared before the Chief Magistrate in Belize City today, accompanied by his attorney, David McKoy. He pleaded not guilty to a single charge of theft.  Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith briefed the media on the investigation.

ASP Stacy Smith, Belize Police Department: “Police have formally arrested and charged Roberto Hoare, a Belizean police constable for the crime of theft. The arrest follows an ongoing investigation which commenced on Tuesday, 20th October, 2026, when police became aware of the attempted usage of a fuel card to refuel a passenger bus. Further investigation resulted in the discovery that almost 1,800 gallons of fuel were dispersed under the fuel card for various vehicles and the vehicle that was assigned to that particular fuel card was out of commission since March of 2026. As a consequence of this discovery, Mr. Hoare, who operates as the fleet manager in the Precinct 4 jurisdiction, was arrested and charged. It is an ongoing investigation. It is an investigation that has even taken us outside of the department and certainly as more information is learned and it becomes necessary to be shared that will be done but suffice to say that the system that is in place is one that leaves a electronic footprint at each step of the way.”

According to the information presented in court, the investigation began on October 20 after a fuel card assigned to a police vehicle was presented to fuel a public service bus. A pump attendant supervisor noticed the discrepancy and alerted police.  Investigators say a review of the fuel card system showed ninety-seven transactions between March 3 and October 20, involving one thousand, 800 gallons of fuel, valued at twenty-six thousand, one hundred and ten dollars and fifty-nine cents. Police allege that the personal identification number used for the transactions belonged to Hoare.  Hoare, who is assigned as fleet personnel for the Precinct Four Police Station and the Caribbean Shores Sub-Station, was detained on October 23 and formally charged yesterday.  In court today, there was no objection to bail, and the Chief Magistrate offered Hoare bail of four thousand dollars, plus one surety of the same amount or two sureties of two thousand dollars each. He met bail and was released.  Outside court, his attorney, David McKoy, spoke about the allegations against his client.

David McKoy, Attorney: “It’s a strange case and was there because Mr.Hoare is a fleet manager and fleet manager basically within the police department is a person or a police officer who’s assigned to to ensure that the different government vehicles that are assigned to the police department are fueled right and there are a lot of checks and balances that are in place. And so it is strange because of those circumstances, but I would I would leave it at strange at this time. This alleged theft occurred between March of 2026 to October of 2026 and the allegation is that the fuel card belonging to him was used in this process and from you heard from the facts it did not say that he personally went to use this card and to fuel for example. So we’ll see how it plays out in court.”

Hoare is scheduled to return to court on January 13, 2027, when disclosure in the case is also expected.  As conditions of his bail, Hoare must surrender his passport and travel documents, and report to the Orange Walk Police Station twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He is also prohibited from applying for other travel documents without the court’s permission