(U.S. Department of Justice) A Florida man pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme that generated over $7 million in fraudulent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) renewable fuels credits and sought over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits connected to
crimes
Back TO HOMECFTC Cracks Down: Escalating Enforcement and Raising the Stakes in the Voluntary Carbon Market
by Deanna R. Reitman , Julian E. Harrell , and( Tamara Criss (Faegre Drinker) - The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois recently granted the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) summary judgment in its first enforcement action
September 06, 2024 Read Full Article
Belgium: EPPO Arrests Two Suspects in €3.1 Million Biodiesel Fraud Investigation
( Independent public prosecution office of the EU) The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Brussels (Belgium) has arrested two suspects in connection with an investigation into a customs fraud involving biodiesel imports, with an estimated damage of €3.1 million. The two
July 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Colonial Oil Industries to Purchase and Retire 9 Million RINs Due to RFS Violations
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Colonial Oil Industries Inc. must pay a $2.8 million civil penalty and purchase and retire more than 9 million renewable identification numbers (RINs) at an estimated price of $12.2 million under a settlement agreement reached
April 11, 2024 Read Full Article
Madhya Pradseh: Biodiesel Smuggling Busted, Goods Worth Rs 42.75L Seized
(Free Press Journal) Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, SP Puneet Gehlod directed police stations across the district to combat the illegal smuggling of biodiesel and other valuable substances. In response, a joint team from Sendhwa rural police station, SDM Sendhwa
March 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Police in Gloucestershire, England, Urge Business Owners to Be Vigilant Following a Rise in UCO Thefts
(Gloucestershire Constabulary/Biobased Diesel Daily) Police are warning commercial business owners to be vigilant following an increase in reports of used cooking oil (UCO) thefts across Gloucestershire in South West England. Offenders steal UCO that has been used or is being stored for
March 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Oil Rush: How Criminal Gangs and Thugs Are Targeting Pubs and Supermarkets for 'Liquid Gold' Cooking Oil Which Can Be Converted to Biofuel and Sold on Black Market
by James Reynolds (Daily Mail) ... Criminal gangs look to exploit price hike by stealing large quantities of waste oil -- Criminal gangs across the UK have been targeting pubs and supermarkets to steal cooking oil as prices soar in light of
January 15, 2024 Read Full Article
Full Circle UCO
by Anna Simet (Biodiesel Magazine) With a single truck in 1953, James Mahoney started up Mahoney Grease Service as a fats and oils recycler, using 13-gallon drums to service customers. Upward of seven decades later, the company has grown to service
January 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Commission Fines Ethanol Producer Lantmännen €47.7 Million over Ethanol Benchmarks Cartel
(European Commission) The Commission has fined Lantmännen ek för and its subsidiary Lantmännen Biorefineries AB (formerly named Lantmännen Agroetanol AB) (together ‘Lantmännen') around €47.7 million for participating in a cartel concerning the wholesale price formation mechanism for ethanol in Europe. This decision follows
December 08, 2023 Read Full Article
Letter from Europe: Amazing Opp to Get UCO Right
by James Cogan (ClonBio/Biofuels Digest) In an amazing turn of events, on August 16 the European Commission launched an investigation[1] into possible large scale violations in the used cooking oil, palm oil and biodiesel supply chains from South East Asia to
August 28, 2023 Read Full Article
Govt Eyes Ethanol to Meet Its 5% Biodiesel Blending Target by 2030
by Subhayan Chakraborty (Business Standard) ... As a result, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) were asked to prioritise research on how to commercially blend ethanol in diesel. The Centre's ethanol blending programme has been a major success for petrol, with E20 petrol (petrol
August 23, 2023 Read Full Article
Italian Antitrust Authorities Launch Biofuel Price Fixing Investigation
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Italy, the Corriere Della Sera newspaper reports the Antitrust authority has launched an investigation against Eni, Esso Italiana, Saras, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Tamoil Italia (which also owns Repsol Italia), Italiana Petroli and Iplom for allegedly colluding
July 21, 2023 Read Full Article
Central Valley Man Sentenced to over 6 Years in Prison for $9 Million Cow Manure Ponzi Scheme
(U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of California) Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville, and Sheridan, Montana, was sentenced today to six years and nine months in prison for running a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme where he purported to turn cow manure into green
June 29, 2023 Read Full Article
Feedstock Theft & Fraud
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) Stolen used cooking oil and palm oil fraudulently disguised as waste feedstock are making headlines, but traceability platforms can help curtail illegal activity. Used cooking oil (UCO) theft is nothing new. Ever since the material, which
June 13, 2023 Read Full Article
California Man Admits to Fraud Scheme Involving Renewable Fuel Credits
(U.S. Department of Justice) Ijomah Oputa, 54, of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden to 40 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud in connection with the generation and sale of fraudulent renewable
May 23, 2023 Read Full Article
Founder and Former CEO of Sustainable Fuel Company Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Embezzlement Scheme
(U.S. Department of Justice) A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., returned an indictment yesterday charging the founder and former CEO of a sustainable fuel company with embezzling at least $5.9 million from the company. According to court documents, Bryan Sherbacow, 54,
May 11, 2023 Read Full Article
L.A. Gas Tycoon, Mormon Polygamists Face Sentencing for $1 Billion Biofuel Scam
by Michele McPhee (Los Angeles Times) The main bad actors in a sprawling scam who formed a very unlikely alliance to defraud the government face a judge, five years after their dramatic arrests -- ... This week, the reckonings in
April 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Cade's Superintendence Recommends Condemnation in Case of Invitation to Cartelization in the Ethanol Market
(Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Safety (Google Translation)) The case now goes to judgment by Cade's Court, responsible for the final decision -- The General Superintendence of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (SG/Cade) recommended, in an order signed
March 29, 2023 Read Full Article
DA Asked to Probe Use of Palm Olein in Biodiesel
by Alena Mae S. Flores (Manila Standard) The Federation of Philippine Industries said Tuesday the Office of the President ordered the Department of Agriculture to look into the alleged illegal use of imported palm olein in biodiesel. FPI chairman Jesus Arranza said
January 26, 2023 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Magazine's Podcast: Cracking Down on Used Cooking Oil Theft
(Biodiesel Magazine) This week's Biodiesel Magazine podcast features Jeff Yasinski, Co-Founder and CEO of D&W Alternative Energy interviewed by Anna Simet, editor of Biodiesel Magazine. LISTEN Growing use of biodiesel comes with rising threat of crime in tri-state area (PIX 11) Thieves
January 23, 2023 Read Full Article
Acton Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Scheme to Defraud the Treasury Department of Over $50 Million in Tax-Free Energy Grants
(United States Attorney's Office District of Massachusetts) Defendant obtained more than $8.7 million in undue federal grant funding -- An Acton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with his role in a scheme to defraud the
December 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Gangs Target Chip Shops for Used Oil in Lucrative New Trade
by Marc Horne (The Times) Cross-border gangs are stealing cooking oil in a unlikely crimewave stoked by the energy crisis. Police Scotland raised concerns after chip shops, other takeawaysand restaurants were targeted by thieves stealing oil to sell on the black market
November 14, 2022 Read Full Article
Why Is Used Cooking Grease Stolen from Restaurants?
by Jamie Ostroff (Nexstar Media Wire/WGN) Why are criminals stealing used cooking oil from restaurants across central Ohio and elsewhere? Sumit Majumdar, the president of Buffalo Biodiesel, said the crime has cost his company millions of dollars. “It’s ballooning. It’s wiping out a
November 11, 2022 Read Full Article
Pearl Man Pleads Guilty as Feds Tackle Biofuel Business for Illegal Dumping
by Alex Rozier (Mississippi Today) A Pearl man pleaded guilty this week for his role in allowing a Brandon company to illegally dump its waste into Jackson’s worn-down sewer system. The U.S. Department of Justice is alleging that leadership of the company,
October 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Scientists from across Country Lending Expertise to AltEn Study
by Chris Dunker (Lincoln Journal Star) Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey have joined the expanding research effort at AltEn to better understand how pesticides used widely in seed treatments move across the landscape. And, by scouring creek beds, studying food
July 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Alcogroup, Agroetanol Charged by EU over Ethanol Benchmarks Cartel
by Foo Yun Chee (Reuters) Belgium’s Alcogroup and Sweden’s Agroetanol were charged by EU antitrust regulators on Thursday with taking part in a bioethanol benchmarks cartel in previous years which could lead to fines. The EU competition enforcer fined Spain’s Abengoa 20
July 07, 2022 Read Full Article
Chinese Interest in US Ag Assets Could Pose Security Risks, Federal Report Says
by Noah Wicks (Agri-Pulse) China’s push to achieve self-sufficiency, which has incentivized the nation to purchase, and even steal, agricultural assets in other countries, could present risks to the economic and national security of the United States, warns a report by the
May 30, 2022 Read Full Article
Slick Operator: Indonesian Cooking Oil Probe May Spread to Biodiesel Industry
by Hans Nicholas Jong (Mongabay) -A top economist in Indonesia has been charged for his alleged role in helping palm oil companies export the commodity instead of selling it domestically — a practice blamed for a shortage of cooking oil
May 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Decision on the European Commission’s Refusal to Grant Public Access to Documents Concerning Compliance with Biofuels Sustainability Criteria under the Renewable Energy Directive (Case 1527/2020/DL)
(European Ombudsman) The complainant wished to obtain access to a list of all countries of origin of used cooking oil (UCO) for the years 2016 to 2019, together with the volumes of UCO feedstock collected for each country for each
April 20, 2022 Read Full Article
ACB Arrests CEO of Biofuel Authority of Rajasthan for Taking Rs 5 Lakh Bribe
(The Print/PTI) A team of the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested the Chief Executive Officer of Biofuel Authority here along with a contract worker for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 5 lakh, officials said. The accused Surendra Singh Rathore had demanded Rs 20
April 12, 2022 Read Full Article
CEO of Biofuel Authority Held in Jaipur, over Rs 4 Crore Seized in Cash
(Times of India) The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested the chief executive officer (CE0) cum project director of Biofuel Authority and a contract worker under him from Yojana Bhawan for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 5 lakh. ... “It was alleged that he was demanding Rs
April 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Palm Oil for Biodiesel in the Amazon: Sustainable Fuel or Deforestation Risk?
Monica Prestes (Dialogo Chino) A planned biorefinery will require the cultivation of 120,000 hectares of oil palm, increasing the area planted in Brazil by 60%. An all too familiar debate is underway -- Oil palm, known as dendezeiro in Brazil, can produce up
March 29, 2022 Read Full Article
Stolen Cooking Oil Impacts Biodiesel Industry
by Caroline Foreback (PA Homepage) There’s been a rise in restaurant cooking oil thefts in our area. A multi-million dollar industry that thieves are taking a huge chunk out of. Tuesday night Eyewitness News heard from a business owner who feels he
January 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Mumbai: 2 Arrested for Selling Illegal Biodiesel in Panvel
(The Indian Express) The police have seized 7,000 litre of biodiesel worth Rs 4 lakh from them.-- Two persons were arrested by the police in Raigad for allegedly being involved in the illegal sale of biodiesel in Chirle area near the
October 13, 2021 Read Full Article
Namakkal Lorry Owners Association to Seek Permission to Open ‘Biodiesel’ Outlet
(The Hindu) The move comes following the mushrooming of outlets selling spurious fuel in the name of biodiesel; truckers say regular diesel prices are unaffordable -- The Namakkal Lorry Owners Association (NLOA) has said that it will do all it can
August 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Mass. AG Announced Resolution of Diesel Price Gouging Pretending to Be Biodiesel
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, a Stoughton fuel delivery company, Diesel Direct, LLC, and its chief executive officer and senior vice president will pay $850,000 to resolve allegations that the company knowingly delivered nonconforming petroleum diesel fuel to state
July 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel Backs into UCO
by Tom Bryan (Biodiesel Magazine) The low-quality, low-carbon byproduct of restaurant fryer grease, once largely reserved for modestly-sized biodiesel production, is now a darling input of the industry's new mega plants. Used cooking oil is in high demand as renewable
June 17, 2021 Read Full Article
Former Owner of Buffalo Lake Biofuels Charged with Felony Theft
by Tom Cherveny (West Central Tribune) A criminal complaint alleges that the former owner of the defunct Buffalo Lake Biofuels site in Buffalo Lake directed the removal and sale of four transformers at the site owned by the McLeod Power
June 07, 2021 Read Full Article
A Gang Dedicated to the Theft of Used Oil from Public Containers to Sell It in Alicante Falls
(Europa Press (Google Translation)) Eight detainees stole the oil dressed in work clothes and vests and in broad daylight -- Civil Guard agents have arrested 10 people, between 20 and 52 years old, in Vila Joiosa (Alicante), allegedly related to the
May 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Ethanol Phu Tho Case: Former PetroVietnam Executive Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison
(Vietnam +) Former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) Dinh La Thang was sentenced to 11 years in prison, during a trial on the case of violating regulations on investment in
March 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Two Biodiesel Sellers Raided near Rajkot
(Times of India) Acting on a tip-off, teams of CID crime, Gandhinagar, carried out raids on two biodiesel sellers on the outskirts of Rajkot city on Wednesday night and seized Rs 24 lakh worth material including the fuel. Both the biodiesel
March 15, 2021 Read Full Article
SFO Charges Former Biodiesel Trader with Fraud and Money Laundering
(UK Serious Fraud Office) The SFO has charged biodiesel trader Gianni Rivera with fraud and money laundering in connection with its investigation concerning the sustainable fuel sector. Rivera, a former employee of Greenergy, is charged by the SFO with two counts of
February 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Owner of Allentown Biofuel Company Sentenced to Prison in Green Energy Scheme
by Peter Hall (Morning Call) The owner of an Allentown biofuel company who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to fraudulently claim green energy subsidies was sentenced to prison and ordered to repay the government more than $10 million. Ralph Tommaso,
December 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Large-Scale Biodiesel Fraud again in the Picture at ILT
(Netherlands' Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT)) Once again, a company suspected of marketing biodiesel with forged certificates is in the picture at the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). Due to large-scale fraud, diesel that is not produced sustainably at
December 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Colorado Man Sentenced to Prison for Biodiesel Tax Credit Fraud -- Scheme Defrauded the IRS of $7.2 Million
(U.S. Department of Justice) A Colorado resident was sentenced to 15 months in prison yesterday for his role in a biodiesel tax credit fraud scheme, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. According to
October 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Spurious Biodiesel Racket across Gujarat Unearthed
(Times of India) Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and state goods and state goods and services tax (SGST) department, on Wednesday conducted joint raids at manufacturing units that make duplicate biodiesel. ... 60 units were raided. READ MORE Illegal biodiesel sale spurs GST
October 02, 2020 Read Full Article
AG Ellison Sues ExxonMobil, Koch Industries & American Petroleum Institute for Deceiving, Defrauding Minnesotans about Climate Change
(Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison) Claims violations of state and common law regarding consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices, misrepresentation, failure to warn; seeks injunctive relief, restitution, and corrective public education campaign; Minnesota joins growing list of states and local
June 25, 2020 Read Full Article
Bogus Sustainable Energy Companies Wound-up in Court
(U.K. Government Insolvency Service) Three companies connected to bogus sustainable energy processing schemes have been wound-up in court after eliciting at least £525,000 from investors. -- Elcourt Ltd, WSR Hawker Ltd and Devo Group Ltd were wound up in the public
June 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Post-Coronavirus: What’s Next in the Environmental Commodity Markets – 23 Key Takeaways
by Mike Newman (Parhelion Underwriting Inc./Biofuels Digest) ... The focus was on renewable fuels in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RINs) and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS credits). Stakeholders came from all corners of the market, from the refining industry,
June 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Fraud Suit Nets $70 Million for Whistleblower, Feds
(Bloomberg Law) Scheme to defraud EPA renewable fuel program; Criminal cases made damages easy to calculate e-Biofuels LLC and other defendants face a $70 million liability for violating the False Claims Act by engaging in a scheme to defraud the EPA’s renewable
May 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Federal Appeals Court Upholds Conviction in Energy Grant Scheme
by Jim Saunders (Daily Business Review) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Judge William Pryor rejected arguments by Orlando businessman Lee John Maher, accused of receiving more than $2 million in federal grant money for a biodiesel facility
April 10, 2020 Read Full Article
L.A. Petroleum Magnate Convicted in Sprawling Biofuel Tax Scheme
by Matthew Ormseth (Los Angeles Times) ... The verdict — guilty on 10 felony counts — was not just a courtroom defeat for (Lev Aslan) Dermen, one that will likely result in a significant prison sentence. It brought to an
March 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Colorado Man Sentenced to 83 Months in Prison for Role in $7.2 Million Biodiesel Tax Credit Scheme
(U.S. Department of Justice) A Colorado resident was sentenced to 83 months in prison on Friday for his role in a biodiesel tax credit fraud scheme, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. According
March 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Ex-PetroVietnam Chairman to Be Prosecuted for Phú Thọ Ethanol Case
(The Star) The Ministry of Public Security’s Security Investigation Agency has proposed prosecuting Đinh La Thăng, former Chairman of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and nine accomplices on charges of violating regulations on construction works, causing serious consequences
February 18, 2020 Read Full Article
El Dorado Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Dumping Industrial Wastewater in Stockton Sewer System
(U.S. Department of Justice) Jeremiah Young, 38, of El Dorado, pleaded guilty today to unlawful discharge of industrial wastewater, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Young was an assistant operator for Community Fuels from 2014 to 2016. Community Fuels is registered in
February 14, 2020 Read Full Article
E&C Leaders Release Draft Clean Future Act Legislative Text to Achieve a 100 Percent Clean Economy
(U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce) Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) today released legislative text of the draft Climate Leadership and
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Abengoa and Alcogroup to Contest EU Antitrust Charges at Hearing: Source
by Foo Yun Chee (Reuters) Spanish ethanol producer Abengoa and Belgian rival Alcogroup will make their final stand against EU antitrust charges over alleged rigging of ethanol benchmarks at a hearing on Tuesday, a source close to the matter said on
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Giant Eni Fined €5m for Deceiving Consumers over Its ‘Green’ Diesel
(Government Europa) Italian regulators today (January 15, 2020) fined Italy’s oil giant Eni over advertisements on TV and in newspapers, digital media and petrol stations that falsely claimed Eni Diesel+ was ‘green’. The watchdog states that the marketing campaign deceives consumers
January 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Used Cooking Oil Biodiesel: Best in Class to Decarbonise Road Transport
(EWABA/EurActiv) According to EWABA, Farm Europe’s op-ed “Fraudulent Used Cooking Oil biodiesel – bad for the climate and a blow to EU farm, oilseed and plant protein sectors” was “slanderous and irresponsibly tendentious”. -- The Used Cooking Oil biodiesel (UCO)
January 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Colorado Business Owner Convicted in $7 Million Biodiesel Tax Credit Fraud Scheme
(U.S. Department of Justice) A federal jury in Denver, Colorado, found Martin Fields guilty yesterday of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit money laundering, making false claims against the United States, and money laundering, announced Principal Deputy Assistant
November 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Turkey Records Biggest Illegal Fuel Bust in Country's History
(Daily Sabah) Authorities have seized 1.5 million liters of illegal biodiesel worth $11 million, considered the biggest bust of its kind in Turkey's history. Officials announced Thursday that an unlicensed company was collecting vegetable waste oil off-record in several districts of
November 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Michigan Biodiesel Dealer Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud
(Wisconsin Ag Connection/USAgNet) A Bloomfield, Mich., biodiesel fuel dealer pleaded guilty today to filing a false income tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider of
October 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Trial Aims to Explain How a Utah Polygamist Used an Alleged Armenian Gangster to Launder Biofuel Money to Turkey
by Nate Carlisle (Salt Lake Tribune) The possible witness list for the trial of Lev Aslan Dermen includes the Utah polygamist prosecutors say the defendant both conspired with and extorted, the businessman who laundered money to a Turkish airline and
October 14, 2019 Read Full Article
Netherlands Mulls End to Used Cooking Oil Double-Counting
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV.com) An analysis of the “weak” points of the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), combined with the results of an ongoing criminal investigation, will determine whether it is possible to end double-counting of used cooking oil (UCO)
September 13, 2019 Read Full Article
MOU between EPA, IRS Aims to Improve Biofuel Tax Fraud Analysis
by Erin Voegele (Etanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA posted a notice to its websites Sept. 4 announcing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Internal Revenue Service under which the agencies have agreed to share information in an effort to
September 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Kamper Biodiesel Boss Cees B. Has to Be in Jail for 20 Months
by Caspar van Oirschot (DE Stentor (Google Translation)) Owner Cees B. (51) of Biodiesel Kampen has been sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, 10 of which are suspended, for falsification of documents and money laundering. His wife Janine B. (47) received
August 23, 2019 Read Full Article
San Joaquin County Biodiesel Firm Sentenced To Probation, Fines For Clean Water Act Violations
(U.S. Department of Justice) On July 8, 2019, United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller sentenced the corporation known as American Biodiesel, Inc. for violations of the Clean Water Act, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. American Biodiesel, Inc., registered in
July 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Twenty-One Individuals Indicted on Charges of Conspiracy to Commit Interstate Transportation of Stolen Used Cooking Oil, Money Laundering, Harboring Aliens, and Immigration-Related Entrepreneurship Fraud
(U.S. Department of Justice) Robert J. Higdon Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned a Superseding Indictment charging the following individuals with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation
June 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Gujarat High Court Notice to Biofuel Company for Alleged Fraud
(DNA India) ... The Gujarat High Court has restrained renewable fuel company My Eco Energy Private Limited from encashing a bank guarantee furnished by a fuel station owner after the latter moved court alleging that the company is committing fraud
June 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Dutch Company Embroiled in Biodiesel Scandal, Earning Millions: VK
(Dutch News) Officials are investigating the role of a Dutch biodiesel company in a major fraud involving the alternative energy source, the Volkskrant said on Thursday. According to the Volkskrant, the Dutch arm of the investigation focuses on one company –
May 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Four Arrested as UK, Dutch Authorities Launch Joint Biodiesel Investigation
(Reuters) Four people were arrested and addresses raided in Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium in a joint Anglo-Dutch investigation into biodiesel trading at British road fuel supplier Greenergy, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said on Thursday. The SFO said the individuals
May 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Green Energy Fraudster Convicted at Trial for Scamming Multiple Federal Agencies and His Customers
(U.S. Department of Justice) Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and United States Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced today that a federal jury in
May 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Jury Finds Pennsylvania Biofuel Company Owners Guilty of Tax and False Statements Conspiracy
(U.S. Department of Justice) Following a 14-day jury trial in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Ben T. Wootton, of Enola, Pennsylvania, and Race A. Miner, of Buena Vista, Colorado, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the Environmental
April 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Former DuPont Employee Gets 42 Months in Prison for Stealing Trade Secrets
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) ... As part of his guilty plea, Isler (Josh Harry Isler) admitted that, during August 2013, while employed with DuPont, and after having accepted an offer of employment with a smaller competitor, he stole and misappropriated,
April 19, 2019 Read Full Article
System Is Abetting Ethanol Smuggling in Kenya
by Moses Michira (Standard Digital) Kenya’s illegal ethanol importation scam is turning to be a deadly business that enjoys protection from the high and mighty, multiple interviews with people involved have revealed. So daring are the players in the scam that even
April 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to $7.2 Million Biodiesel Tax Credit Fraud Scheme
(U.S. Department of Justice) A Colorado resident pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado to conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General
March 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Eugene Man Resentenced in Biodiesel Fraud Case
by Maxine Bernstein (The Oregonian/OregonLive) Jack Holden and co-defendant Lloyd Benton Sharp together defrauded 12 people who invested in a project to produce biodiesel fuel in the West African nation of Ghana. When the project failed, the two men duped the investors
February 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Metro East Fuel Plant Owner Admits Doctoring Tests to Get $500,000 in Biodiesel Tax Credits
by Robert Patrick (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) The former operator of a South Roxana biodiesel plant pleaded guilty in federal court here Thursday and admitted doctoring test results to fraudulently receive $531,000 in tax credits. Terry L. Zintel pleaded guilty to three
January 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Biodiesel Tax Conspiracy
(U.S. Department of Justice) A Harrisburg, Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to one count of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division,
October 05, 2018 Read Full Article
NGL Crude Logistics LLC Agrees to Pay $25 Million Civil Penalty and to Retire $10 Million in Renewable Fuel Production Credits Under Settlement With United States
(U.S. Department of Justice) The Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with NGL Crude Logistics, LLC that requires the company to retire 36 million renewable fuel credits and pay a $25 million civil penalty
October 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Company Ordered to Pay $31.9M to SEC for Biofuel Fraud
by Dave Stafford (The Indiana Lawyer) Evansville-based Imperial Petroleum Inc. has been ordered to pay nearly $32 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission after it failed to reply to the SEC’s court filings seeking damages in a biofuels fraud case that
September 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Abengoa, Alcogroup Face Charges of Ethanol Benchmark Rigging: Sources
by Foo Yun Chee (Reuters) Spanish ethanol producer Abengoa and Belgium peer Alcogroup have been charged by European Union antitrust regulators with rigging ethanol benchmarks and are likely to face fines next year, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The
August 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Ohio Man Gets Five Years for His Role in $47 Million Biofuel Fraud Scheme
by Tim Pearce (Daily Caller) The owner of a New York-based renewable fuels trading company was sentenced to over five years in prison and fined roughly $26 million Monday for his role in a massive biofuel fraud scheme, according to the
August 28, 2018 Read Full Article
CEO and CFO of Utah Biodiesel Company and California Businessman Charged in $500 Million Fuel Tax Credit Scheme
(U.S. Department of Justice) A federal grand jury sitting in the District of Utah has returned an indictment, which was unsealed today, charging the CEO and CFO of Washakie Renewable Energy (WRE), a Utah-based biodiesel company, and a California businessman with
August 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Colorado Business Owner Pleads Guilty to $7 Million Biodiesel Tax Credit Fraud Scheme
(U.S. Department of Justice) A Colorado business owner pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to impair and impede the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for his role in a $7.2 million renewable fuel tax credit scheme, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard
August 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Former DuPont Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Trade Secrets and Lying to the FBI
(U.S. Department of Justice) Took Trade Secrets and Proprietary Information When He Accepted a Job with a Competitor -- Josh Harry Isler, age 55, from St. Ansgar, Iowa, pled guilty today in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids to one count
July 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Colorado Business Owners Indicted For $7 Million Biodiesel Tax Credit Fraud Scheme
(U.S. Department of Justice) A federal grand jury for the District of Colorado has returned an indictment, which was unsealed today, charging two Colorado business owners with conspiring to defraud the United States and to commit money laundering, money laundering and
June 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Top 10 Biodiesel Trends 2018: What’s up with the World’s Favorite Advanced Biofuel?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We’ve organized the state of biodiesel into 10 areas of vital interest ranging from the development of markets to the entry of ancillary products and new feedstocks. #1 Tax & Trade Free trade vs fair trade: Dumping
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
California Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Renewable Fuel Fraud
(U.S. Department of Justice) Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and United States Attorney Joseph H. Harrington for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jin Chul “Jacob” Cha, 41, of
May 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Former Volkswagen CEO Indicted Over Emission Testing Scandal
by Sonari Glinton (National Public Radio) Martin Winterkorn, the former head of Volkswagen, was indicted on Thursday along with five other former VW executives on charges of conspiracy and fraud in connection with a years-long scheme by the automaker to cheat
May 04, 2018 Read Full Article
VW Bosses Coached Me to Lie, Jailed Manager Tells U.S. Judge
by Christie Smythe (Bloomberg Technology) (Oliver) Schmidt to be sentenced on Dec. 6 over emissions scandal; ‘Regrettably, I agreed to follow it’; faces 7 years in prison -- ... In a letter to the judge last week, Schmidt, former general manager of Volkswagen’s
December 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Embattled Utah Biofuel Company with Polygamous Ties Should Pay Millions for Breach of Contract, Jury Says
by Paighten Harkins (Salt Lake Tribune) A Box Elder County biofuel company fined for exploiting federal tax credits by importing fuels they claimed they produced may pay millions to one such importer after the company abandoned a $90 million deal
December 04, 2017 Read Full Article
U.S. Subpoenas Icahn Over Biofuel Action While Trump Adviser
by Miles Weiss, Jennifer A Dlouhy, and Mario Parker (Bloomberg) U.S. Attorney for Southern District of N.Y. seeks information; Icahn Enterprises discloses request in securities filing -- Federal investigators have issued subpoenas for information on Carl Icahn’s efforts to change biofuel policy while
November 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Stanfield Biodiesel Plant Was a Scam
(My Columbia Basin) The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services is fining Robert D. “Bob” Doughty and his companies for bilking investors of $250,000. Officials say the Ontario man with a Stanfield connection is fined $35,000 for selling fraudulent securities
October 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Edmonton Biofuel Businessman Fined for Breaching Securities Laws
by Jonny Wakefield (Edmonton Journal) An Edmonton businessman has settled with the province’s securities regulator after admitting to misleading investors. On Thursday, the Alberta Securities Commission announced it concluded a settlement agreement with David Gregor McClure after he admitted to
August 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Acton Couple Arrested for Defrauding the Treasury Department of Over $50 Million in Tax Free Energy Grants
(U.S. Department of Justice) An Acton couple was arrested today and charged with defrauding the U.S. Treasury Department of more than $50 million in tax free energy grants as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Christopher N.
August 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Fraudster Faces 2 to 22 Years
by Mikkel Pates (West Central Tribune) It will likely be November before an Iowa biofuels promoter is sentenced after ultimately pleading guilty to federal fraud charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Darrell Duane Smith, 61, of Forest City,
August 07, 2017 Read Full Article
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-State Biodiesel Fraud Scheme
(Department of Justice) Andre Bernard, of Mount Kisco, New York, pleaded guilty today for his participation in a multi-state scheme to defraud biodiesel buyers and U.S. taxpayers by fraudulently selling biodiesel credits and fraudulently claiming tax credits, announced Acting Assistant
August 04, 2017 Read Full Article
CFTC Says It Is Not Probing Icahn's Activity in Biofuels Credits
by Timothy Gardner (Reuters) The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission informed eight Democratic U.S. senators last month that it is not investigating biofuels credits after the lawmakers had urged it to probe billionaire Carl Icahn's activity in that market, according
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
NYC Investigators Raid Brooklyn Offices of Heating Oil Giant in Fraud Probe
by Greg B. Smith (New York Daily News) City investigators looking into fraud in the heating oil industry raided one of the biggest players in town Thursday, seizing computers and boxes of documents. The city Business Integrity Commission, which has targeted
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Senators Call on SEC, EPA, CFTC to Investigate Trump Advisor Carl Icahn for Possible Insider Trading, Market Manipulation in Renewable Fuel Credit Market
(Office of Senator Elizabeth Warren) U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), called on the heads of the Commodities Futures
May 18, 2017 Read Full Article
UK Pension Scheme in Hot Water over Investments in Failed Jersey Biofuel Company
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, pension scheme provider James Hay is in hot water over a Jersey-based biofuels company known as Elysian Fuels after clients invested $70 million in retirement savings between 2011 and 2015, even though
May 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Owners of Biofuel Company Indicted on Conspiracy and False Statement Charges
(U.S. Department of Justice) A Pennsylvania biofuel producer and two of its officers have been indicted on conspiracy and false statements charges for participating in a scheme that generated over $10 million in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) renewable fuels
May 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels Promoter Faces Federal Fraud Charges
by Mikkel Pates (Agweek) An Iowa biofuels promoter who came to North Dakota in 2012 and sought investments in factories, including a proposed beets-to-ethanol plant Grafton, N.D., has been accused of violating federal wire fraud, mail fraud, identity theft, racketeering
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Attorney: $50M Biofuel Tax Scam Charges Should Be Dismissed
by Rudy Miller (Lehigh Valley Live) The attorney for a man charged with participating in a $50 million biofuel scam says the charges should be dismissed because his client got bad legal advice. David Dunham, of Bethlehem, allegedly claimed $50 million in tax credits
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
New Investigative Report Launched on Nidera’s Biofuels Trading Loss
(Biofuels International) A new investigative report has been unveiled revealing more information about Nideria’s biofuels trading loss, often dubbed as one of the biggest scandals in the history of the Dutch market. Last year, the Dutch grain-trading firm reported that it
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
US Man Goes to Prison for Biodiesel Tax Fraud Scheme
(Biofuels International) A Washington man was sentenced this week for laundering more than $39 million for a company that bilked federal programs supporting renewable energy, according to Tri-City Herald. Richard Estes, 77, was part of a conspiracy involving Pasco-based Gen-X Energy
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
How Fiat Chrysler's Diesel Woes Differ from Massive VW Scandal
by Brent Snavely and Nathan Bomey (Detroit Free Press) The U.S. EPA said Thursday it notified Fiat Chrysler Automobiles of Clean Air Act violations for the diesel emissions of 104,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs and Ram 1500 EcoDiesel pickups, a move that immediately
January 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Volkswagen to Recall 83,000 3.0 Liter Diesel Vehicles and Fund Mitigation Projects to Settle Allegations of Cheating Emissions Tests on Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche Vehicles
(Environmental Protection Agency) Settlement requires Volkswagen to offer to buy back older vehicles, and spend $225 million to mitigate NOx pollution. Volkswagen will also repair newer vehicles to comply with the standards to which they were certified In a second partial
December 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Closing Arguments Begin in Yearslong Biofuel Fraud Case
by Ouch Sony (Cambodian Daily) Prosecutor asks for conviction for military general alongside U.K. businessman -- ... Mr. (Gregg) Fryett and his Cambodian-American associates Um Sam Ang and Soeun Denny, and Cambodian Ouk Keo Ratanak, were jailed in 2013 over a
December 15, 2016 Read Full Article
CEO of Publicly Traded Company along with Two Others Sent to Federal Prison
(Department of Justice) Defrauded biodiesel purchasers and shareholders -- United States Attorney Josh Minkler and Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division announced today the sentencing of two individuals who
December 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Employee of Biofuel Feedstock Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy
(U.S. Department of Justice) An employee of a New Jersey feedstock collector and processor pleaded guilty to conspiracy for his role in a scheme to alter and destroy documents following the company’s receipt of a subpoena issued by a federal
December 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Wealthy Florida Businessmen Sentenced to 10-Plus Years in Prison for Biofuel Scam
by Brett Murphy ( Naples Daily News) A federal judge sentenced two Florida men to 10-plus years in prison for their part in a $46 million scheme that defrauded government agencies and the renewable energy industry in 2013 and 2014. Federal Court
November 09, 2016 Read Full Article
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