MIAMI – A Fort Pierce-based biofuel company’s General Manager, Royce Gillham, has been sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for his role in a scheme that generated over $7 million in fraudulent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) renewable fuels credits and sought over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits connected to the purported production of biodiesel.
Gillham’s company, which claimed to turn various feedstocks into biodiesel, vastly overstated their production volume in an effort to generate more credits, according to authorities. When auditors sought more information from the company, Gillham and his co-conspirators provided false information about their fuel production and customers.
Gillham previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and to file false claims. He worked at a company based in Fort Pierce, Florida.
The scheme was investigated by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and IRS Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Funk for the Southern District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Environment and Natural Resources Division made the announcement.
The case highlights the importance of monitoring and reporting on the production of renewable fuels to prevent abuses of the system. Gillham’s sentence serves as a warning to individuals who engage in similar schemes.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-14046.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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