Moses Lake Woman Nabbed in Major Irrigation Recycle Theft Scam

A 38-year-old Moses Lake woman is facing charges after she was arrested for her role in a recycling theft scheme.

The fraud involved selling stolen irrigation parts

The Grant County Sheriff's Office reports  Magaly Diaz Luna was arrested this week after she tried to sell parts to a recycling company.

The GCSO says workers at Moses Lake Iron and Metal noticed Luna brought in a number of brass irrigation parts known as impellers. They're used to help pump water as they spin inside the pump casing, using centrifugal force to move the water.

The metal workers had recently been notified about a number of such thefts from Irrigators Incorporated.

The irrigation company found a hole had been cut in their fence, and a number of impellers have been stolen off of a pallet, and apparently, this had been going on for several months.

Workers at the metal shop called 9-1-1 and 'stalled' Luna until officers could arrive. The investigation showed Luna had sold this kind of parts to the company on six previous occasions, the fraud totaled at least $.1900.

According to the GCSO:

"Diaz (Luna) was arrested for investigation of second-degree possession of stolen property and first-degree trafficking in stolen property. Diaz was lodged in the Grant County Jail."