GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: Nine men and James Hodge Motors, Inc., a Texas auto dealership, have been indicted for conspiring to install ‘defeat devices’ on diesel trucks, allowing excessive emissions in violation of the Clean Air Act. U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton accuses the defendants of flouting laws designed to ensure clean air for generations.
Phillip Waddell, Philip Ormand, Kolby Huneycutt, Kyle Kizer, Jonathan Lohrmeyer, Justin Pasamonte, Archie Sims, Adam Stanley, and Curtis Poore, along with James Hodge Motors, were charged with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judges Hal R. Ray, Jr., Rebecca Rutherford, and Renée H. Toliver.
“These defendants intentionally flouted laws designed to ensure our children have clean air,” Simonton said. “By installing devices that bypassed automakers’ built-in emissions controls, they spewed pollutants into our neighborhoods.”
The scheme, spanning several years and multiple states, significantly diminished air quality. According to the indictment, Waddell allegedly sold diesel exhaust components and delete tunes that allowed vehicles to emit excess pollutants. Ormand customized each tune for a specific vehicle.
Huneycutt, Kizer, Lohrmeyer, Pasamonte, Sims, and Stanley allegedly installed tuners and delete tunes on customer vehicles, while James Hodge Motors, under Poore’s supervision, engaged in similar behavior. The dealership even falsified invoices to conceal the nature of their work.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, with all defendants presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison; the company faces up to $500,000 in fines. The EPA Criminal Investigation Division and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality conducted the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Brasher prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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