GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A Michigan business is facing a massive fine for violating the U.S. Clean Air Act.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten’s office said Diesel Freak, LLC, a diesel repair and electronics modification facility headquartered in Gaylord, Michigan, and several individuals were sentenced for violating the Clean Air Act by engaging in an aftermarket scheme to disable the emissions control systems of semi-trucks.
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U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney confirmed the felony convictions of the corporate defendant and ordered the business to pay a fine of $750,000 and serve a term of probation. It was the largest fine imposed over the course of the case in which the Court ordered over $1.8 million in fines.
Judge Maloney also sentenced the owner of the business, Ryan Lalone, and two employees, Wade Lalone and James Sisson, each to 1-year probation. The company and the individual defendants pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act.
“Holding corporations responsible for environmental crimes is tremendously important,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “This case is one of the largest of its kind ever charged in the United States and today’s sentences send a clear message that polluters who break environmental laws will be held accountable. Environmental rules safeguard the water we drink, the lakes we fish, and the air we breathe. It’s critical that we protect our people and our planet from harmful pollutants.”
The U.S. Attorney’s office said between 2015 and 2018, Diesel Freak “conducted remote reprogramming, or tuning, of on-board diagnostic systems (“OBD”), including deletions of environmental controls, allowing diesel engines for large open-road trucks to work cheaper, without environmental restrictions, causing pollution beyond that allowed by law.”
Tampering with or removing emissions controls can drastically increase the emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and non-methane hydrocarbons found in vehicle exhaust. Exposure to and inhalation of these chemicals at greater levels is associated with serious health risks.
“Exposure to diesel exhaust can lead to serious health conditions, such as asthma and respiratory illness, and contributes greatly to poor air quality -- concerns the defendants in this case ignored in favor of financial profit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lisa Matovic of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (“EPA-CID”). “The sentencings in this case show that EPA and our law enforcement partners will hold accountable individuals who disregard health and environmental laws designed to protect our communities from dangerous air pollution.”
U.S. Attorney Totten also noted that those with information about other companies and individuals involved in tampering with emissions controls in connection with this investigation can contact EPA-CID at (734) 214-4913.