Date: 03-07-2025

Case Style:

United States of America v. Leon Martin and Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc.

Case Number:

Judge: Julia K. Munley

Court: The United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (Dauphin County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in Harrisburg

Defendant's Attorney:

Click Here For The Best Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory

Description:

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy and violations of the Clean Air Act.
Lancaster County Man and Long-Distance Trucking Company Sentenced for Violations of Clean Air Act

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Leon Martin, age 42, of Lititz, PA, and Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc. (Frock Brothers), of New Oxford, PA, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley for conspiracy and violations of the Clean Air Act.

Martin was sentenced to a two-year term of probation, with three months of a home curfew, and a $500,000 fine. Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc. was sentenced to a two-year term of probation and an $80,000 fine.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Martin was a mechanic who worked at a diesel repair shop, in Ephrata, PA. Between 2018 through October 2023, Martin provided “tuning” or “reprogramming” services in which he tuned the engine control modules (ECMs) on diesel trucks. The ECM is a computerized system that manages and controls the engine’s performance. During that time, Martin began tampering with the emissions diagnostic systems on the vehicles of many companies to prevent the diagnostic system software from monitoring the emission control system hardware, thereby defeating the systems’ ability to reduce pollutant gases and particulate matter being emitted to the atmosphere by the trucks.

In November and December 2018, Martin did work for Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc., a long-distance trucking company that delivers general freight and other products. At that time, Martin, Frock Brothers, and others, conspired to tamper with the emission control hardware on approximately eight diesel vehicles of Frock Brothers, in violation of the Clean Air Act. The illegal actions were for the purpose of obtaining economic benefits, including, among other things, reduced or avoidance of repair costs, fuel savings from improved fuel economy on modified vehicles, and reduced expenditures on diesel exhaust fluids required to operate emissions systems components. As part of the scheme, Frock Brothers removed the vehicles’ ECMs from their engines and shipped them to Leon Martin for reprogramming. Once the devices were “tuned,” Martin shipped them back to Frock Brothers, where they were reinstalled on the trucks. As a result of the emissions systems tampering, Frock Brothers vehicles emitted excess emissions, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, into the atmosphere.

“Tampering with required emissions monitoring devices in heavy duty vehicles results in a significant increase in air pollution,” said Allison Landsman, EPA-CID Special Agent in Charge. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that we will hold violators accountable for breaking our environmental laws.”

The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Behe prosecuted the case.

MoreLaw

was created to help people find the right lawyers to represent them based on the performance history of trial lawyers in every county of the United States. Click the link above to see a list of the lawyers that MoreLaw has identified who practice law where this case was litigated.
Kent Morlan, Esq.

Outcome:

Defendants was found guilty and Martin was sentenced to a two-year term of probation, with three months of a home curfew, and a $500,000 fine. Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc. was sentenced to a two-year term of probation and an $80,000 fine.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: