The owner of a trucking company: On 3 April, the owner of a trucking company in Rhode Island pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to alter or bypass truck emission controls illegally.
Involvement of Michael Collins and Companies
Michael Collins, his North Kingstown company, M&D Transportation Inc., and his now-defunct computer company, Diesel Tune-Ups of RI Inc. were all involved in the conspiracy, which lasted roughly from September 2014 to August 2019.
Various trucking and diesel vehicle sales and repair companies in the U.S., along with foreign nationals, were involved in the scheme. According to the Rhode Island district attorney’s office, they conspired to alter or disable ECM and OBD systems in heavy-duty diesel vehicles like semi-trucks.
The Environmental Protection Agency set emissions limits for vehicle engines, including nitrogen oxides, under the Clean Air Act. To meet these standards, manufacturers install hardware to manage and treat engine exhaust, reducing pollution.
“The foreign national would pay for ‘tuning’ software and download it onto a laptop that Collins and his companies provided. They then connected the laptop to the vehicle.”
“We remotely downloaded the ‘tunes’ to each vehicle’s ECM, reprogramming the monitoring systems to hide emission control malfunctions and allow operation without proper emissions control.”
According to the attorney’s office, diesel sales and service centers frequently installed the tunes while simultaneously making other changes to trucks’ pollution control systems. Similarly, Collins used the same methods to bypass emission controls on some of his company’s trucks.
As a result, ‘tuned’ vehicles may have increased horsepower and torque. Consequently, this enhancement may reduce maintenance and repair costs; however, it can also lead to significant increases in pollutant emissions,” the office stated.
Customers paid Collins’ companies between $1,700 and $3,650 for each vehicle tuned, according to court documents, and he and his companies wired a portion of the funds to the foreign co-conspirator.
According to the district attorney’s office, from March 2017 to June 1, 2018, Collins deposited fees from around 25 diesel trucking or repair shops nationwide into his account.
“Tampering with diesel vehicles to install defeat devices raises smog and soot emissions, harming health, particularly for underserved families and children,” said Tyler Amon, EPA Criminal Investigation Division special agent in New England. “Rhode Island holds those prioritizing profit over public health accountable.”
Collins, M&D Transportation, and Diesel Tune Ups of RI are due in court on July 10. The attorney’s office did not provide details on the conspiring service shops’ guilty pleas or sentencing.
