by Suzanna Hayek and Uzma Gulbahar (S&P Global) Lack of motivation to register across supply chain: CEO; Potential impacts on supplies -- The deadline for implementing the EU's biofuels traceability platform, the Union Database for Biofuels, is rapidly approaching on Nov. 21, yet
fraud
Back TO HOMEAgri-Pulse Open Mic: Michael McAdams, President, Advanced Biofuels Association
by Jeff Nalley (Agri-Pulse) This week’s Open Mic guest is Michael McAdams, President of the Advanced Biofuels Association. After an extensive career serving on Capitol Hill, McAdams founded the ABFA in 2006. The group represents all aspects of the advanced biofuels
November 18, 2024 Read Full Article
Germany Blocks Oil Firms from Using Past Emissions Credits to Support Biofuel Industry
by Riham Alkousaa and Markus Wacket (Reuters) The German cabinet on Wednesday (November 13, 2024) approved reforms to restrict oil companies from carrying excess emissions reductions credits forward, in a step aimed at boosting the biofuel industry that was hit by
November 16, 2024 Read Full Article
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Biofuel Fraud Conspiracy
(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
November 08, 2024 Read Full Article
What's Really in Your Tank? Ireland to Raise Concerns about Fraudulent Biofuel with EU Ministers
by Valerie Flynn (The Journal) The government will raise concern over palm oil waste-based biofuel, as its use here soars. -- As reported by The Journal last month, a 24% increase in biofuel use in Ireland last year was largely met with an additional
October 14, 2024 Read Full Article
CFTC 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
Germany's Landwärme Declares Insolvency
by Sophie Barthel (Argus Media) German biomethane supplier Landwärme has today declared insolvency under the country's self-administration procedure and has initiated restructuring measures "to overcome the consequences of the ongoing decline in prices of German greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction quota". Self-administration proceedings
August 19, 2024 Read Full Article
China’s Biodiesel Producers for Markets; EU Imposes Severe Tariffs
by Pragya Singh (Middle East Headlines) Biofuel executives and analysts say that producers of Chinese biodiesel are looking for new Asian markets for their exports and are thinking about making more biofuels as their supply to the European Union, their biggest
August 18, 2024 Read Full Article
Lupton Petroleum, Brad Hall Associates Retire 273,519 RINs as Part of EPA Settlement Agreement
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on July 18 announced it has reached a settlement with Lupton Petroleum Products Inc., and its affiliate Brad Hall Associates Inc., for violations of the Clean Air Act’s conventional and renewable fuel
July 23, 2024 Read Full Article
EU Action Proves Urgent as Biofuel Producers Furlough Workers
(European Biodiesel Board) While biodiesel from China continues to flood into the European markets, policy makers in the European Commission deliberate their response. The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which brought a trade case before the institutions, remains confident anti-dumping measures will
July 11, 2024 Read Full Article
Route Simplified Opens the Market for UCO Sellers and Buyers
by Kristof Reiter (Reiter Companies/Biobased Diesel Daily) Available this July, the all-new, third-party record-sharing portal by Reiter Software will offer a powerful solution for both parties. -- For years, U.S. EPA has emphasized the need for detailed records that account for
July 08, 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
US Opens Way for Brazil Used Cooking Oil in Blow for Farmers
by Clarice Couto and Tarso Veloso (BNN Bloomberg) Brazil said the US has cleared the way for its shipments of used cooking oil in a move that may further erode profits for American soybean producers and crushers as they face increased
June 27, 2024 Read Full Article
AOA Thursday 5-9-2024 Agriculture of America Podcast
(American Ag Network) On Thursday's AOA, with guest host Mike Adams, we have another busy show today. In Segment One we have Mike Zuzolo with Global Commodity Analytics to discuss markets and the upcoming WASDE reports. In Segment Two we discuss
May 10, 2024 Read Full Article
Suspicions of Fake China Cooking Oil Alarm US Biofuel Industry
by Kim Chipman, Tarso Veloso, and Michael Hirtzer (Bloomberg) ... One of the biggest concerns is that China shippers are adding UCO to fresh palm oil. Palm, the world’s most widely used vegetable oil, is a bane to environmentalists and many countries
May 08, 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
A New Era for Biofuels Traceability in Europe
(Energy Institute) What will the European Union’s (EU) new bioenergy database mean for bioenergy sustainability and traceability both across and beyond Europe, and what are the challenges that still lie ahead? Gemma Toop and Sacha Alberici, Associate Directors at Guidehouse, take
February 28, 2024 Read Full Article
EU Database for Biofuels Becomes Operational
(European Commission) As of today (15 January 2024), the Union Database for Biofuels (UDB) established by the European Commission is open for online registration by the relevant economic operators of transactions of liquid renewable and recycled carbon fuels. The database was foreseen
January 17, 2024 Read Full Article
Global Certifier: ‘Decimal Point Errors’ Behind Biofuel Discrepancies in Italy, Malta
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV) Global certification body the ISCC has revised down the extremely high quantities of used cooking oil reportedly collected in Italy and Malta for biofuels production in 2022, saying that the original figures were the result of
January 16, 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
EU Confirms Probe into Cheap Chinese Biodiesel Decimating EU Industry
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV) European biofuel producers have praised the European Commission’s decision to launch an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese biodiesel imports, calling it a positive step to stop the economic devastation of the domestic EU biofuel sector. Last month, the
January 12, 2024 Read Full Article
European Commission to Examine Allegations of Unfairly Traded Biodiesel from China
(European Commission) The European Commission has today launched an investigation into allegations of dumping of biodiesel from China onto the EU market. -- If dumping is confirmed and is found to be harming EU producers, the Commission may impose measures (typically duties
December 21, 2023 Read Full Article
EU Is ‘Driving without a Map’ on Biofuels Policy, Auditors Find
by Sean Goulding Carroll (Euractiv.com) The EU’s complex policy approach to biofuels lacks a long-term outlook and risks undermining the bloc’s transport decarbonisation targets, an analysis by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) has found. The ECA, an independent watchdog, examined the EU’s support
December 14, 2023 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
To Tackle Biofuel Fraud, Ireland Takes Matters into Its Own Hands
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV) The Irish government has confirmed it will set up a working group to ensure the sustainability of biofuels used in the country, as concerns grow that tainted fuels are entering the EU market. The decision by
October 19, 2023 Read Full Article
Austrian Airlines Forced to Admit 100% SAF Flights Were False Advertisement
by Rytis Beresnevicius (Aerotime Hub) Austrian Airlines was found guilty of misleading travelers in an advertising campaign that suggested its flights used 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). A court ruled that the carrier post a corrective statement on its website and social
October 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Indonesia Attorney General launches Graft Probe into Palm Oil Fund Agency
by Fransiska Nangoy, Bernadette Christina and Stefanno Sulaiman (Reuters) The Indonesian Attorney General's Office has launched a corruption investigation into the country's palm oil fund agency, which oversees the collection and distribution of export levies on the commodity. The probe will cover
September 21, 2023 Read Full Article
EPA Agrees to RFS Enforcement Improvements in Response to OIG
(Inside EPA) EPA has agreed to a series of steps to improve its internal safeguards against fraud in the renewable fuel standard (RFS) compliance credit program, following a report from its Office of Inspector General (OIG) that found several deficiencies that
September 20, 2023 Read Full Article
EU Under Pressure to Tackle Fraudulent Biofuels Imports
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV.com) The delay in implementing a tool to protect the EU market against fraudulent biofuel imports has been heavily criticised by European biofuel producers, who point the finger at the European Commission. The criticism comes as the EU
September 12, 2023 Read Full Article
Neste Challenges Unsubstantiated USDA Biofuels Annual Report Assertions, Which It Believes to Be Erroneous or Based on Misunderstanding
(Neste) The recently published USDA Biofuels Annual Report (1 September, 2023) suggests that Neste may have received fraudulent used cooking oil (UCO) volumes at its renewable products refinery in Singapore, specifically virgin palm oil from Indonesia exported fraudulently as UCO via
September 12, 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
Oregon Fines BP $205,800 for Double-Counting Renewable Fuel Volumes
by Tracy Loew (Salem Statesman Journal/Yahoo!) Oregon environmental regulators said BP Products North America has paid a $205,800 fine for inaccurately reporting renewable fuel volumes to the Oregon Clean Fuels Program, generating 11,821 illegitimate credits. BP impermissibly double-counted the same volumes of imported renewable fuel
August 01, 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
China Biodiesel Exporters Pledge Fraud Crackdown after Criticism
by Alfred Cang and Agnieszka de Sousa (Bloomberg/Yahoo! Finance) Chinese biodiesel producers pledged to improve compliance and export standards, days after European rivals called for action to stem “potentially fraudulent” shipments. A group representing the country’s biggest producers and affiliated with the
June 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Toyota, Daimler Truck, Hino, Mitsubishi Fuso Joining Forces in Ecological Technology
by Yuri Kageyama (Associated Press) German truck maker Daimler, Japan’s top automaker Toyota and two other automakers said Tuesday they will work together on new technologies, including using hydrogen fuel, to help fight climate change. The companies said Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and
May 31, 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
ISCC Response to Recent Suspected Cases of Mislabelling of Advanced Biodiesel
(International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) In recent weeks, ISCC has received communications from stakeholders expressing concerns about a surge of advanced biodiesel1 imported from China and produced from waste and residue materials that are at least partly supplied from Indonesia and Malaysia.
April 25, 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
Bernstein Liebhard LLP Announces that a Securities Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed against Vertex Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTNR)
(Bernstein Liebhard/PR Newswire) Bernstein Liebhard LLP announces that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Vertex Energy, Inc. ("Vertex" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: VTNR) between April 1, 2022 and August 8, 2022, inclusive
March 20, 2023 Read Full Article
SPOTLIGHT Reiter Software; Used Cooking Oil: Staying in Compliance for Incentives
(Biodiesel Magazine) ... Recordkeeping challenges in renewable diesel aren’t new, but the struggle to balance the desire to incentivize production of low-carbon-intensity (low CI) fuels without harming collectors or tolerating fraud has come to a head. The following is what
January 06, 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
EU Biofuel Import Controls Need Tightening: APPB
by Jonathan Gleave (Argus Media) A better traceability of imported feedstocks used to produced advanced biofuels, particularly those derived from the palm oil sector, is essential for both the reputation of the market and the EU but the block's recent drive
September 23, 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
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
Discrepancy in British and Irish Used Cooking Oil Imports Raises Biofuel Fraud Concerns
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV.com) A new analysis suggests more Malaysian used cooking oil (UCO) was exported to Britain and Ireland than was collected in the country, raising fears that banned substances are being fraudulently passed off as the valuable biofuel
March 08, 2022 Read Full Article
EU Biofuel Plan Increases Risk of Fraudulent Imports from Asia: Study
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV) EU proposals aimed at cutting transport emissions risk boosting the amount of fraudulent used cooking oil (UCO) imported into the EU, according to a new study by the International Council for Clean Transportation (ICCT), a US-based non-profit organisation. The
February 28, 2022 Read Full Article
EU Incapable of Detecting Fraud in Biofuel Imports, Complainant Says
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV.com) The EU’s approach to monitoring fraud in the importation of used cooking oil (UCO) – a feedstock used to produce green biodiesel – is unfit for purpose, the complainant behind the EU ombudsman’s recent maladministration ruling
December 14, 2021 Read Full Article
Carbon Market Negotiations Continue at COP
by Ashira Morris (World War Zero) ... or years, global climate negotiators have been trying to craft a carbon market that encourages a green transition. Europe has relied on carbon markets -- through cap and trade systems -- to navigate their decarbonization and cushion
November 08, 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
Is a Feedstock Crackdown Coming to California’s LCFS?
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) ... But in the last rulemaking in 2018, CARB made a number of amendments to focus and strengthen the regulation, implementation and certainty of the carbon credit market, said Floyd Vergara, director of state
June 04, 2021 Read Full Article
Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands Want EU to Get Serious on Biofuel Sustainability
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands issued a statement saying it is crucial to ensure that the renewable energy, such as biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin, that is used in transport is
June 01, 2021 Read Full Article
UK Seeks Comments on Role of Biomass in Achieving Net-Zero Goal
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.K. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on April 20 opened a public consultation seeking evidence on how sustainable biomass should be sourced and used to support the country’s net-zero target. Comments filed during
April 21, 2021 Read Full Article
Transport Energy & Renewables in the EU – What the Latest Commission Data Tells Us
by James Cogan (Ethanol Europe/Biofuels Digest) ... Oil maintains an overwhelming grip on the sector with a steady 94% share. The rest is biofuels with 5.6% and renewable electricity with 0.6%. Three quarters of the extra energy demand over the
April 07, 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
Fighting Fraud with Tech – RSB, Bioledger Build up Blockchain for Biofuels Traceability
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials and Bioledger are using blockchain technology to fight fraud and see how it can support traceability of biofuel and its feedstocks and overcome the vulnerabilities identified in securing the supply
March 15, 2021 Read Full Article
REGI INVESTOR ALERT: Bernstein Liebhard LLP Announces that a Securities Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Renewable Energy Group, Inc.
(Bernstein Liebhard/Globe Newswire) Bernstein Liebhard, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, announces that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (“Renewable Energy ”
March 04, 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
Law Firm Investigating Possible Securities Violations by REG
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The law firm Lowey Dannenberg P.C. is investigating possible violations of federal securities laws on behalf of investors of Renewable Energy Group Inc. after stock prices fell approximately 20 percent immediately following the company’s June 23 announcement that
August 05, 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
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
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
EU Curbs Used Cooking Oil in Biodiesel Due to Fears of Fraud
by Valerie Flynn (The Sunday Times) The Department of the Environment has said it may have to alter the statutory instrument promoting biofuels in Ireland after the EU placed a cap on biodiesel made from used cooking oil (UCO) in
August 29, 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
Used Frying Fat Causes a Significant CO2 Reduction in the Transport Sector
(Dutch Emissions Authority (Google Translation)) The Netherlands is on track to reach the European target for renewable energy for transport of 10% in 2020. This means that in 2018, the Netherlands will be well above the European average at 8.9%. This is evident
July 12, 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
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
Risks in the Climate Finance Markets
by Michael Newman (Parhelion Underwriting Inc./Biofuels Digest) Risks often act as barriers to investment and trading in the climate finance market – the systems designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), California’s Cap & Trade and
February 20, 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
The Problem of Invalidated RINs in the Renewable Fuel Standard
by Mike Newman (Parhelion Underwriting/Stillwater Associates) Under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) imposed a “buyer beware” approach to the purchase and sale of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). This creates a liability for any buyer of RINs, making
January 07, 2019 Read Full Article
California Fueling Files Suit over Biodiesel NOx Additive
(California Fueling/Biodiesel Magazine) California Fueling LLC filed suit Dec. 10 in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Best Energy Solutions and Technology Corp., doing business as “Best Corp.,” asserting claims for, among other things, unfair business practices under California’s Business &
January 04, 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
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
Box Elder Tax Increment Program for Biofuels Company Is on Hold
by Mark Shenefelt (Standard-Examiner) In 2014, the Box Elder County Redevelopment Agency created a $2.5 million, seven-year tax increment program to support expansions planned at the Washakie Renewable Energy plant in Plymouth. But the county economic development director said Wednesday, June
June 18, 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
Trump Said to Mull Ways to Boost Biofuel Market Transparency
Mario Parker and Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg) The Environmental Protection Agency plans to ask for advice on whether -- and how -- to boost the transparency of an opaque $9 billion market in biofuel compliance credits amid allegations of manipulation, said
May 16, 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
Five Petrol Station Operators Sell Illegal Diesel
(The Portugal News Online) Five petrol station operators in Portugal that import diesel from Spain are not adding the correct amount of biofuel required by law, leading to a loss to the state of €48 million. -- ... The Portuguese Association of
February 05, 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
Pruitt Wants RIN Fraud Crackdown
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt called for "some reforms" to the program under the Renewable Fuel Standard through which companies buy credits to comply with biofuels mandates during a Sunday radio interview . "There's lots of
October 30, 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
Senior Politicians under Probe for Illegal Ethanol Imports - Nkaissery
by Kurgat Marindany (The Star, Kenya) Several senior politicians are being investigated for the illegal importation of ethanol, Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery has said. Nkaissery said on Saturday that security agencies have profiled several senior politicians alleged to be key players in
July 07, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Warned Fiat Chrysler about Diesel Defeat Devices in 2015
by Richard Read (WSET/The Car Connection) In February, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' CEO, Sergio Marchionne, warned investors that his company could soon face a Dieselgate crisis of its own. As it turns out, Marchionne had plenty of time to reach that conclusion.
June 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Case: $4.5M for Investors under Federal Settlement
by Jeff Amy (Fox Business/Associated Press) A federal judge has approved a $4.5 million settlement for private shareholders of failed biofuel maker KiOR, and a lawsuit by the state of Mississippi seeking to recover a much larger amount continues. U.S. District
June 12, 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
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
Business and Consumers Will Both Lose if Renewable Fuel Standard Is Changed
by Max McBrayer (The Hill/RaceTrac Petroleum) ... My perspective comes from over 30 years in the fuels business. Currently, I am chief supply officer of RaceTrac Petroleum, a fuel retailer and operator of more than 700 convenience stores from Texas
May 08, 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
N.J. Man Sentenced to 5 Years Prison for Biodiesel Fraud
(Reuters) The owner of a New Jersey feedstock processor was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a scheme that generated fraudulent tax and renewable fuel credits, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Friday. In addition to
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
MIT Study Estimates That VW's Dieselgate Scandal Will Send 1,200 Europeans To An Early Grave
by David Tracy (Jalopnik) In 2015, Researchers from MIT, Harvard and Hasselt University (in Belgium) estimated that VW’s 482,000 cheating diesels would lead to an estimated 59 premature deaths in the U.S. Now some of those same researchers have taken a
March 08, 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
EPA Seeks to Ban Genscape from Verifying Renewable Fuel Credits
by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants to revoke Genscape's ability to verify biofuels compliance credits after regulators say it failed to detect a massive fraud perpetrated by companies it was monitoring. The announcement, made
January 05, 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
KiOR: The Inside True Story of a Company Gone Wrong. Part 5, The Collapse
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In 2011, KiOR raised $150 million in its June IPO, claiming that it was generating yields of 67 gallons per ton in its Demo unit operations. But it was miles short of that. In our previous
November 25, 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
Mwatate Police Impound 180 Drums of Illegal Ethanol
by Renson Mnyamwezi (Standard Digital) Police in Mwatate have seized 45,000 litres of ethanol alleged to be imported from Tanzania. Acting on a tip, police at Mwatate Divisional Police Headquarters along the Taveta-Mwatate road flagged down two trucks and found 180
November 04, 2016 Read Full Article
EACC Detectives Unearth Fraud at Raila's Company
by Samuel Messo (Tuko) Detectives have exposed details of an undercover operation that discovered fishy ethanol dealings associated with a company owned by Raila Odinga's company; The EACC detectives followed vehicles that had left the company in Kisumu to a warehouse in
October 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Owners of Biofuel Company Plead Guilty to Conspiracy and Fraud Charges
(U.S. Department of Justice) The owners of an Indiana biofuel producer pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and false statements for participating in a scheme that generated over $60 million in fraudulent tax credits and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) renewable
October 13, 2016 Read Full Article
U.S. Files Complaint, Announces Settlement to Address Alleged Renewable Fuel Standard Violations by NGL Crude Logistics and Western Dubuque Biodiesel
(Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice today announced the filing of a complaint against NGL Crude Logistics, LLC and Western Dubuque Biodiesel, LLC and a settlement with Western Dubuque to address
October 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Chemoil Must Pay Largest Settlement in History of EPA's Fuel Programs
(Farm Futures) EPA and DOJ allege Chemoil exported biodiesel, but failed to retire RINs. -- Chemoil Corporation is required to retire 65 million renewable fuel credits to resolve alleged violations of the Renewable Fuel Standard program, according to the terms
September 30, 2016 Read Full Article
SEC Charges Alternative Fuels Company and Former Executive for Key Omissions Regarding Technology
(U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) On September 26, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Texas-based Mard, Inc., formerly known as KiOR, Inc., ("KiOR"), and its former CEO and President Fred Cannon for failing to disclose important assumptions about the
September 29, 2016 Read Full Article
USDOJ: Owner of Biofuel Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Obstruction
(MediaAlerts) The owner and manager of a New Jersey feedstock collector and processor pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction for his role in a scheme that generated over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits and the United States Environmental Protection
September 29, 2016 Read Full Article
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