- $33 million in emissions defeat devices smuggled from Canada to the U.S. between 2015 and 2023
- Defendants generated over $74 million in revenue
- Potential sentences include up to 20 years in federal prison for smuggling and money laundering
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Four individuals, including two Canadians, are facing charges for allegedly smuggling $33 million worth of emissions defeat devices into the United States. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, the accused conspired to violate the Clean Air Act, laundered money, and concealed their activities using a Cayman Islands shell corporation.
Investigators allege the group – John and Joshua Owens of Mapleton, Utah, along with Kevin Paul Dodd and Philip John Sweeney of British Columbia – smuggled emissions defeat devices across the U.S.-Canada border into Washington state. The products were distributed across the U.S. between December 2015 and November 2023.
Emissions defeat devices prevent vehicles’ emission control systems, such as diesel particulate filters (DPF) and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems, from functioning correctly. The devices can include physical modifications to exhaust systems and software adjustments that override engine control systems.
Court documents highlight multiple emails the accused exchanged about their knowledge of the legal risks. In one 2020 email, Owens admitted, “Feels like I’m on borrowed time with the EPA,” but continued operating the business for three more years. Knowing full well what position he was in, he idiotically renamed his company to “DPF Delete Shop, Inc.” and launched a website, dpfdeleteshop.com, in 2020 – we could swear he wanted to get caught…
Another email from co-defendant Sweeney reads, “We have lots of ways to get stuff across the border… just need you to be complacent.” The communications show they knew what they were doing was illegal. Despite these precautions, investigators revealed that Owens’ business had received over $74 million in revenue between 2017 and 2023.
The charges against the accused include conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, which carries a light maximum five-year sentence. However, smuggling and money laundering charges are far heavier, with penalties of up to 20 years in prison.
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