Environmental Crimes Bulletin November 2023 Week 1

In this issue:

• United States v. Daniel A. Chase, No. 3:23-CR-00046 (D. Alaska), AUSA Jennifer Ivers and SAUSA Karla Perrin

United States v. Daniel A. Chase, No. 3:23-CR-00046 (D. Alaska), AUSA Jennifer Ivers and SAUSA Karla Perrin

On November 2, 2023, a court sentenced Daniel A. Chase to pay a $50,000 fine and complete a three-year term of probation. Chase pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act for his role in removing and altering emissions control equipment on diesel trucks (42 U.S.C § 7413(c)(2)(C)).

Chase co-owned DC 907 Diesels, LLC, a vehicle repair shop specializing in diesel trucks. Starting in 2017, Chase personally "deleted and tuned" customers' diesel trucks and directed other shop employees to do so as well. Between approximately March 2018 and June 2022, Chase and his employees deleted and tuned at least 144 diesel vehicles.

Chase tampered with the vehicles' monitoring devices to allow them to function without proper emissions control equipment. In total, Chase collected approximately $349,693 for tampering with these vehicles.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.