Miami corporations and owners plead guilty Per Tampering with air quality monitoring devices in diesel trucks, official sources said.
Vivian Machado62 years old; Eric Flaquer, from 39; as well as companies Fast Tricks Automotive Performance Inc. Y Kloud9Nine LLCbased in Miamipleaded guilty to conspiring to tamper with diesel vehicle control units in violation of the Clean Air Act (CAA), which constitutes a felony, according to a statement by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
According to official figures, defendants Machado, Flaquer and Quick Tricks received rounds between January 2018 and December 2020 $230,830.61 in 1,100 transactions for the sale of “Erase Tune Files” that alter or disable the on-board diagnostics (OBD) of diesel engine heavy-duty vehicles that would be required by the CAA to have OBD systems to monitor emissions control.
Additionally, between October 2019 and March 2021, Machado, Flaquer, and Kloud9Nine received $141,162.70 for another 657 transactions.
The defendants customized the Wischtune files based on the vehicle identification number and desired parameters and provided active customer service for automobile companies.
Aware of the illegality being committed, they emailed customers urging customers not to tell anyone about their purchases and to take steps to avoid detection and “going unnoticed” by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The vehicles at issue in this case were operating on public roads and highways in the Southern District of Florida and throughout the United States.
The CAA’s purpose is, among other things, to “protect and enhance the quality of the country’s atmospheric resources to promote the public health and well-being and productive capacity of its people,” the statement said.
Motor vehicles, including those with powerful diesel engines, contribute to air pollution that can endanger public health or welfare and are therefore subject to regulations, including requiring manufacturers to design and install exhaust systems to control acid gases and noxious hydrocarbons.
The verdict in this case fraud it is scheduled for April 7 in Miami Federal District Court.
Owners Machado and Flaquer face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or double the gross profit or loss arising from the crime.
Companies, for their part, face up to five years probation and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the gross profits or losses resulting from the crime.