The Utah-based stars of the popular Discovery Channel show Diesel Brothers were ordered to pay a fine of $850,000 for violating federal emission laws hundreds of times.
David Sparks, Joshua Stuart and Keaton Hoskins (the "Diesel Brothers") all violated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Air Act by removing emission control components and installing devices to bypass the systems in diesel pickups, as U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby ruled.
Earlier in 2017, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment filed a lawsuit against multiple companies the "Brothers" own, including Diesel Power Gear based in Woods Cross, Utah. This federal court ruling is a victory for the physicians' organization's lawsuit. “Illegally stripped down and modified diesel trucks have no place on our roadways,” said Dr. Brian Moench, the organization's president. The doctor then went on, continuing to take shots at the "Brothers" and their business as he explained the ruling.
Hoskins was ordered to pay a $86,107 fine to the federal government. Court documents filed Friday showed that Sparks' company B&W Auto was ordered to pay $114,426. However, he and his company together were also ordered to pay the federal government $333,700. Additionally, Sparks, together with his company along with Diesel Power Gear, were ordered to pay $90,000 to Davis County for their participation in the Davis County Tampered Diesel Truck Restoration Program.
Diesel Power Gear, Sparks, and Stuart are also liable to pay the federal government a civil penalty of $227,218.
Cole Cannon, the attorney for the "Brothers" says they don't yet know if they will appeal the ruling.
"What's disappointing is that the parties were unable to resolve this through a private settlement, which would have resulted in a lot more of a restorative effort in Utah," Cannon said. "This order only has approximately 10 percent of the money staying in Utah. The other gets sent to Washington, D.C., and we all know how useful that's going to be."
Sources
Judge Orders 'Diesel Brothers' to Pay $850K for Violating Clean Air Act