SPOKANE – On October 18, a federal grand jury in Spokane, Washington, indicted four business owners on charges of smuggling and illegally importing emissions defeat devices valued at tens of millions of dollars from Canada into the United States. The individuals, identified as John Wesley Owens of Washington, Joshua Wesley Owens of Utah, Kevin Paul Dodd of British Columbia, and Philip John Sweeney of British Columbia, are alleged to have engaged in a scheme to sell these illegal devices through their respective businesses across the U.S.
The indictment accuses the men and their companies — Diesel Truck Products, Inc., Fulfillment Solutions & More, LLC, Evolution Auto Performance, Evo Tunes Inc., and KX Wheels — of conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by distributing devices that disable emissions controls on diesel trucks. These controls, mandated by law, limit harmful pollutants such as diesel particulates, which can exacerbate health conditions, particularly among children, the elderly, and those with respiratory illnesses. The devices allegedly allow trucks to bypass systems designed to reduce emissions, posing environmental and public health risks.
Investigators allege that the Owens, Sweeney, and Dodd used a range of tactics to evade detection, including changing company names and using offshore addresses. Between December 2015 and November 2023, the Owens are reported to have purchased over $33 million in illegal emissions devices from Dodd and Sweeney. Despite repeated warnings from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the illegality of these devices, the Owens allegedly continued their sales through online platforms, ultimately generating over $74 million in revenue.
The indictment further details communication among the accused, with evidence suggesting they planned to obscure their activities, including discussions about avoiding detection by U.S. authorities. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison for smuggling and money laundering, along with five-year maximum sentences for conspiracy charges.
The investigation, conducted by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, and the IRS, is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Jacob E. Brooks, alongside Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Russell.
This post was originally published on here
