Lane County diesel repair shop, owner sentenced to federal probation, fines for tampering with pollution monitoring devices
EUGENE, Ore. (KTVZ) —A Lane County diesel repair shop and its owner were sentenced in federal court Wednesday for knowingly and intentionally tampering with pollution monitoring devices on at least 184 vehicles in violation of the Clean Air Act.
Diesel & Offroad Authority, LLC, located in Veneta, Oregon, and its owner and operator, Christopher Paul Kaufman, 39, were each sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay $150,000 in criminal fines.
In addition, the sentencing court ordered Kaufman to include a disclaimer on his company’s website declaring that Diesel and Offroad Authority no longer provides “delete and tune” tampering services because they are illegal.
“The defendants in this case illegally tampered with the onboard diagnostics systems and removed the emissions control components from hundreds of diesel trucks,” said Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division in Oregon.
“Their actions directly contributed to the release of significant amounts of dangerous air pollutants, which leads to serious health conditions such as respiratory diseases like asthma. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that individuals and their companies will be held criminally responsible if they deliberately threaten human health and the environment by violating our nation’s environmental laws.”
According to court documents, beginning in at least 2018 and continuing through 2022, Diesel & Offroad authority tampered with and disabled emissions control systems of at least 184 diesel vehicles in violation of the Clean Air Act. Diesel & Offroad Authority charged its customers approximately $2,300 each for the emissions modifications and collected more than $378,000 for the unlawful services over an approximately four-year period.
As owner of Diesel & Offroad Authority, Kaufman oversaw and participated in the illegal modification of vehicles, including by procuring various automotive parts used in the process and engaging in and directing employees in the removal of emissions control equipment.
On March 12, 2024, Diesel & Offroad Authority and Kaufman were charged by federal criminal information with violating the Clean Air Act by tampering with pollution monitoring devices.
On April 10, 2024, Diesel & Offroad Authority and Kaufman pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division. It was prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Gwendolyn Russell, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Environmental Protection Agency.
If you witness an environmental event that may lead to an immediate threat to human health or the environment, please call 9-1-1. After alerting local emergency authorities, please also report incidents to the EPA’s Report a Violation website (https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations) or by calling the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
