The Arrest was Public. The Outcome Wasn’t Despite Evidence. What Happened to Forbes March's Oil Theft Case?
- Niagara Action
- Nov 8, 2025
- 5 min read
When former daytime TV actor Forbes March was arrested in Ulster County for grand larceny, headlines exploded. Police said he and another man were caught siphoning used cooking oil from a storage tank behind Michael’s Diner, located at 1071 Ulster Avenue, Kingston, NY 12401. The container was owned by Buffalo Biodiesel, Inc., a Buffalo-based business servicing over 28,000 restaurants across the Northeast. March was arrested with burglary tools, accused of cutting locks and pumping oil in the dark.
And then suddenly, the coverage vanished. There was no reporting on the arraignment.
There was no follow-up on the charges or disposition. There was no accountability.
The final word most outlets printed was not from law enforcement, but from March’s attorney, Jared K. Hart, who blamed confusion, “poor markings,” rainwater, and even Buffalo Biodiesel itself.
Now, with more than two years of silence and a long trail of unanswered questions, the narrative from his attorney deserves a closer look — because the excuses don’t match the facts.
Police Don’t Arrest People for Accidentally Pumping Rainwater
The Ulster Police Department’s official statement, which is publicly available, was clear:
Two subjects [were arrested] on March 2, 2023, at 10:12pm for Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree following a complaint from Michael's Diner for the theft of used cooking oil. Arrested were: FORBES W. MARCH, 49 yoa of Jeffersonville, NY OSCAR GUARDADO, 30 yoa of Liberty, NY. On March 2, 2023, at 9:52pm members of the Ulster Police Department responded to Michael's Diner located at 1071 Ulster Avenue in the Town of Ulster for a report two subjects siphoning used cooking oil from the storage container in the rear of Michael's Diner. The cooking oil was in a storage container owned by Buffalo Biodiesel. The value of the stolen used cooking oil was estimated to exceed $1,000. Both subjects were charged with the Felony of grand larceny in the fourth degree and were released to appear in the Town of Ulster Court at a later date to answer the charges.
They didn’t say “unmarked.”
They didn’t say “abandoned.”
They didn’t say “civil misunderstanding.”
They said siphoning. From a locked container. Worth more than $1,000. And they charged March with grand larceny in the fourth degree.
To be charged with grand larceny, police need probable cause of intent to permanently deprive the owner of property. Confusion is not an arrestable offense. Cutting locks and siphoning oil with equipment is.
Attorney Claims Container Was “Poorly Marked” — Evidence Says the Opposite
March’s attorney Jared K. Hart said,
“One of the containers… belonging to Buffalo Biodiesel . . . appeared abandoned and contained mostly dirty rainwater that would later have to be separated out." He continued, stating the container was "not readily apparent to Forbes that day due to the poor markings."
That claim collapses under the simplest scrutiny:
-Buffalo Biodiesel containers are marked on five surfaces
-They display a printed reward notice
-Containers include warnings about theft
-Every container is locked with security cable that requires a bolt cutter to remove
-The container was so recognizable that police immediately identified it as Buffalo Biodiesel’s
If the markings were truly “unclear,” how did officers instantly know whose property it was? If it were “abandoned,” why was it locked and secured? If March truly mistook it for his own container, why did he show up at night, in pitch darkness, with burglary tools?
The Attorney Says It’s Not Criminal, But Police Say Otherwise
March's attorney claimed, “There was never an intent to steal nor permanently deprive another company of their alleged cooking oil.”
Yet police say:
-He was pumping oil from Buffalo Biodiesel’s container
-The container was locked and secured
-He had burglary tools
-The stolen value exceeded $1,000
-He was charged with felony grand larceny
Lawyers can spin. Police incident reports and court filings cannot.
The Claim: Buffalo Biodiesel Wasn’t Collecting Oil
Buffalo Biodiesel services more than 28,000 commercial kitchens across the Northeast. The company does not abandon containers. Oil theft is rampant in the industry, which has been written about dozens of times over the past several years and acknowledged by local, state and federal prosecutors. Buffalo Biodiesel has reported losing $15-20+ million per year to illegal siphoning.
If the container were truly abandoned, why would oil thieves be targeting it? Why would March be there after dark? Why would tools be required?
You don’t cut security cables on containers you think belong to you.
The Most Telling Detail: March Offered to “Pump the Oil Back In”
According to his attorney, after being caught, March:
“Offered to pump the oil back into the container.”
That alone destroys the “misunderstanding” claim.
You don’t “give back” something you didn’t knowingly take.
You don’t “offer” to reverse a theft unless you know you’ve been caught.
If this were all just confusion, why not let the court process play out openly? Instead, after one news cycle of sympathy messaging, the case went silent.
Media Gave Him the Last Word and Then Dropped the Story
When the arrest happened, it was everywhere:
-People Magazine
-Deadline
-NY Post
-Daily Mail
-Local outlets
And then, nothing. No coverage of court appearances. No reporting on restitution. No follow-up at all. The last published perspective is the defense attorney’s PR-style rebuttal that went unchallenged.
An ordinary person caught pumping from a secured container in the dark with burglary tools would not get that courtesy.
Burglary Tools Aren’t Used for “Misunderstandings”
According to publicly available reporting and police statements, March was not just holding a hose. He was carrying tools used to break into secured property.
Confused people do not travel after dark with hoses, pumps, and containers. That is preparation, and preparation demonstrates intent.
Buffalo Biodiesel Lost More Than Oil — It Lost Justice
Buffalo Biodiesel is a documented victim of thousands of oil thefts each year. Their losses are not hypothetical, they are recorded in police reports and publicly reported in news articles, court records, and law enforcement bulletins.
When a high-profile defendant gets arrested, makes one PR statement, and the press disappears, justice disappears with it.
Buffalo Biodiesel was deprived not only of oil, but of restitution and the public accountability any normal thief would face.
What Really Happened?
Based on all publicly available records:
(1) A Buffalo Biodiesel container was secured and marked
(2) Police caught March siphoning oil at night
(3) The container was easily identified as Buffalo Biodiesel’s
(4) He possessed burglary tools
(5) The oil was valued over $1,000
(6) He was charged with felony grand larceny
(7) Media let his lawyer’s claims end the story
There is no indication the case went away because of facts, but rather because of his name.
Buffalo Biodiesel didn’t get confused. Police didn’t get confused. The container wasn’t abandoned. The theft wasn’t accidental.
And the silence that followed was not justice — it was privilege.
***The thumbnail photo used for this article is an AI generated dramatic reenactment***
The Arrest was Public. The Outcome Wasn’t Despite Evidence. What Happened to Forbes March's Oil Theft Case?
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