‘I lost the trust’: How contaminated fuel stalled a Punta Gorda man’s livelihood as State identifies more impacted stations

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WINK) — It is a routine millions of drivers mindlessly repeat every single week: pull up to the pump, fill up, and get back on the highway. But for many drivers in Southwest Florida recently, that simple automated act has transformed into a financial nightmare as a widening WINK News Investigation exposes the ongoing fallout from a massive contaminated fuel distribution failure.

Last month, corporate giant Circle K confirmed to Chief WINK Investigates Reporter Chorus Nylander that its regional third-party supplier distributed substandard fuel across at least seven local retail stations. 

The following locations were impacted, Circle K hasn’t provided an exact window for when the bad fuel was present other than it being in “late April.” Chorus Nylander spoke with impacted drivers who told him they experienced problems on April 28th.  

• 2925 1st St E, Bradenton, FL 34208
• 17170 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers Beach, FL 33931
• 9951 Orange River Blvd, Ft Myers, FL 33905
• 14362 Palm Beach Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33905
• 9001 Rolfes Rd, Ft Myers, FL 33966
• 1181 Homestead Rd N, Lehigh Acres, FL 33936
• 11161 Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda, FL 33955

Since that disclosure, state regulatory inspectors from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have quieted public testing concerns by validating fresh samples, but the administrative timeline has left some local drivers holding the bag for thousands of dollars in catastrophic engine damage.

"Eight miles down the road, my truck just stall, just straight up stall. Tried to restart it, and nothing happened. Was completely dead." 

 Mirek Koplick, Affected Punta Gorda Driver

For Punta Gorda resident Mirek Koplick, a routine fuel stop at his local Circle K off Tamiami Trail turned into a financial disaster. He relies daily on his 25-year-old heavy-duty truck to haul necessary materials for his business operations and to transport materials to execute an active remodeling project on his new home.

"The engine is like a tank," Koplick explained, staring at the lifeless vehicle now permanently occupying space in his driveway. "A tank that can get destroyed by bad fuel."

After the sudden roadway failure, Koplick towed his vehicle to a local mechanic. The diagnosis he said was that it was tied to substandard diesel fuel. The bad fuel ruined the vehicle's high-pressure fuel pump and fouled the fuel injectors. The final repair estimate clocked in between $4,000 and $5,000.

"For me, it's a lot, you know? I cannot pull up just $5,000 out of my pocket and pay for the truck," Koplick said. Because he cannot absorb the massive out-of-pocket hit, his business workhorse remains out of commission indefinitely.

Corporate Timelines and Disputed Denials

While Circle K corporate communications state that the company is actively executing an internal claims process to rectify consumer losses, Koplick found himself among the initial wave of operational denials. The company claims the specific contamination window and fuel type do not match his documentation.

Koplick said he filled up at the affected Punta Gorda station on April 28th, May 4th, and finally on May 8th—the day of the terminal engine failure. However, Circle K asserts that diesel fuel was completely unaffected by the issue, noting that contamination was confined exclusively to unleaded regular gasoline during a tight window in late April.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM CIRCLE K CORPORATE:

"At Circle K, we are committed to doing the right thing for our customers. We are continuing to review claims and paying all related costs attributable to the fuel quality issue from a third-party supplier, which affected multiple fuel retailers in the area in late April.

Mr. Koplik submitted claims tied to purchases at multiple Circle K locations; however, his documentation shows those purchases were made for diesel fuel and occurred outside of the timeframe when the issue impacted only regular unleaded fuel at these locations.

Based on our review, claims involving diesel fuel or purchases outside of the affected timeframe would be unrelated to this incident." 

State Inspectors Log Complaints After the Fact

WINK Investigates reviewed public testing records from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Public records show state inspectors logged at least 17 official consumer complaints across seven initial local Circle K facilities, prompting field agents to pull formal fuel samples.

Crucially, state inspectors didn't collect their physical lab samples until May 11th, 12th and 13th—several days after WINK Investigates broke the initial investigation on May 8th. While those specific state laboratory results officially registered as "passed," state officials openly acknowledged to WINK Investigates that the testing occurred after the contaminated fuel inventory had been systematically drained, flushed, and replaced with fresh stock.

Koplick has doubts about the testing and timelines. "The frustrating part for me is the gas station is right by the place where I live," Koplick added. "But now everywhere around here, the majority of the gas stations are Circle K's, and I lost the trust."

The Investigation Deepens: 5 More Stations Identified

Circle K’s corporate assertion that the contamination stemmed from a broader regional logistics issue appears validated by state logs. WINK Investigates has uncovered that the FDACS has formally identified five additional gas stations across Southwest Florida that recently distributed substandard, contaminated fuel to regional consumers, pulling back the curtain on a much wider supply-network breakdown.

Below is the verified state data listing the newly exposed locations, physical addresses, and the specific fuel types that failed compliance checks:

As the investigation network branches out into other independent national brands—including a Shell-branded fuel location cited by state tracking at 7137 Maida Lane in Fort Myers—corporate entities are quick to draw lines between national trademarks and local distribution operations.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM SHELL CORPORATE:

"Shell takes product quality and customer satisfaction seriously. We are looking into the concerns regarding possible fuel contamination at the Shell-branded site located at 7137 Maida Lane, Fort Myers, Florida.

Shell’s retail fuels business in the U.S. supplies quality motor fuels primarily to independent wholesalers and licensees operating under the Shell brand and selling Shell-branded fuels. So, while the name on the sign reflects the brand of the motor fuel being sold on the premises, the day-to-day site operations are the legal responsibility of the wholesaler, site owner, or operator.

For specific questions regarding the identified Shell-branded location, please contact Motiva at 1-800-Motiva1 or motiva-customerservice@motiva.com."

WINK Investigates will continue tracking these issues across Southwest Florida. If you have a story you'd like us to investigate email us at winkinvestigates@winknews.com or call our tip line at 239-344-5074.

Consumer Note: If your vehicle suffered immediate engine stuttering, stalling, or fuel system failure after filling up at any of the regional locations listed above, preserve your physical receipts, mechanical diagnostics, and fuel logs, and immediately file a formal report with FDACS.