Joel Rojas Felix, 26, of Yonkers, New York
Joel Rojas Felix, 26, of Yonkers, New York, is charged with fourth-degree burglary, theft of $100 to under $1,500, and driving a motor vehicle on a highway without the required license and authorization after Calvert County deputies said a late-night traffic stop led to an investigation into the alleged theft of used cooking oil from a Lusby restaurant.
According to the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy saw a white Ford van traveling south on HG Trueman Road near Village Center Drive at about 2:20 a.m. on June 28, 2026. The deputy reported that the van appeared to have lettering removed from its sides and that the rear registration plate was not illuminated. The deputy followed the van as it turned onto Rousby Hall Road, then onto northbound Route 4, where a traffic stop was conducted.
Felix was identified as the driver. When the deputy approached, Felix allegedly said he did not have a driver’s license and later showed a photograph of a New York identification card on his phone. Dispatch advised that Felix was not licensed to drive and had only been issued a New York identification card, according to the filing.
A passenger in the van was identified as Miguel Jose Gonzalez, 35, of New York. While speaking with Gonzalez, deputies said they saw a large plastic container with a metal cage in the cargo area of the van, the type commonly used to move liquids, including used cooking oil. When asked what the container was for, Gonzalez allegedly said it was “for cooking oil.”
Deputies said both Felix and Gonzalez were sweating heavily and appeared to have cooking oil on their clothing and shoes. Both men allegedly said they had just left a restaurant on HG Trueman Road in Lusby and were trying to enter the correct destination into their GPS so they could return to New York. The deputy noted that the van had first been seen less than one-tenth of a mile from the restaurant, which the filing said was consistent with the vehicle having just left the area.
Felix and Gonzalez were arrested at about 2:40 a.m. Deputies said a search of the van found three intermediate bulk containers in the cargo area, along with numerous used black nitrile gloves that appeared shiny, as if coated in oil or sweat. A bottle of Dawn dish soap was also found in the front passenger-side door pocket, which the deputy said is commonly used to remove grease and oil from skin after handling oil products.
While at the Calvert County Detention Center sally port, the deputy said Felix was asked how he was paid. Felix allegedly replied, “someone sells the oil,” then invoked his right to remain silent. The deputy wrote that questioning stopped immediately.
A deputy later checked Salsa’s Mexican Cafe in the area and reported that the gate near the used cooking oil storage container was open and that the container lid was unsecured. The deputy also reported seeing what appeared to be fresh cooking oil around the lid, which was described as consistent with the container having been recently accessed.
Deputies estimated that the three containers held about 120 gallons of used cooking oil. Based on an estimated market value of $2.50 to $3.50 per gallon, the recovered oil was valued between $300 and $420. The charge summary lists the theft value at $420.
The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office said cellphones belonging to Felix and Gonzalez were seized as evidence and secured for further investigation. The van was taken to a secure sheriff’s office lot. The filing states the events were recorded on an agency-issued body-worn camera.
Felix initially was ordered held without bond on June 28, 2026. After a bail review the next day, bond was set at $10,000, and a $1,000 cash bond was posted. Court paperwork lists a trial date of July 30, 2026, in Calvert District Court.
