bunch of folks

[user_gary]

The petrol pumps were corrupted or defiled in some way. This is the wrong-doing that was going on. So the guy was murdered for telling the authorities about a bunch of folks who were changing the petrol pumps in some way. Maybe they were changing the gauges so that they said they pumped out more petrol than they really were, and the bad guys pocketed the difference in money.


I can't understand the highlighted sentences.

Though I know every word in this sentence except underline ones.

[BobK]

bunch of folks who were changing the petrol pumps in some way. Maybe they were changing the gauges so that they said they pumped out more petrol than they really were, and the bad guys pocketed the difference in money.

bunch of folks - a certain number of people

gauges - devices that show how much [petrol, in this case] has been dispensed/used/served

pocketed the difference - took the difference [between the amount dispensed and the amount shown on the gauge] and added it to their own possessions ('pocketed' it).

So: A number of people were changing the petrol pumps in some way [maybe making the gauges show 10 litres when they had really served only 9 litres], charging the customer for 10 litres, putting payment for 9 litres in the till, and putting the value of 1 litre in their own pocket.

b