Miami operators Vivian Machado, 62, and Eric Flaquer, 39, along with their companies Quick Tricks Automotive Performance, Inc. and Kloud9Nine, LLC, have pled guilty to a federal conspiracy charge for tampering with diesel truck emissions monitoring systems—violating the Clean Air Act. The scheme, which ran for years across South Florida and nationwide, enabled truck owners to bypass legally mandated pollution controls, dumping unchecked toxins into the air.
The Clean Air Act exists to protect public health by regulating air pollutants, including those spewed by heavy-duty diesel engines. Central to compliance is the on-board diagnostic system (OBD), a network of sensors and software that monitors emissions controls. Tampering with these systems is a federal felony. Yet, from January 2018 through December 2020, Machado, Flaquer, and Quick Tricks raked in $230,830.61 from 1,100 transactions selling customized ‘delete tune files’ designed to disable OBDs.
The scam didn’t stop there. Between October 2019 and March 2021, the same defendants used Kloud9Nine, LLC to pocket an additional $141,162.70 from 657 more illegal transactions. They tailored the tampering software to specific vehicle identification numbers and offered direct customer support, helping clients alter engine performance while evading environmental regulators. Emails show the defendants were fully aware of the law—they routinely warned buyers to ‘stay under the radar’ and never disclose the illicit purchases.
The vehicles impacted were driven across the Southern District of Florida and throughout the U.S. on public highways, spewing unfiltered diesel exhaust. That exhaust contains hazardous hydrocarbons and acidic gases linked to respiratory illness, heart disease, and cancer. Communities near major roadways—often low-income and marginalized—bore the brunt of these illegal emissions, making this not just fraud, but an environmental justice crime.
All four defendants now face sentencing on April 7 at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams in Miami. Machado and Flaquer each risk up to five years in federal prison and fines of $250,000—or twice the gross gain from their crimes. The companies face five years of probation and fines up to $500,000 or double the illicit proceeds, whichever is greater.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, Southeast Area Branch. Prosecution was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi A. Mazer. The conviction was announced by Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and EPA Special Agent in Charge Charles Carfagno. Court records are available under case number 22-cr-20516 at flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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