EPA issues $10 million in fines for making, selling, and installing ‘defeat devices’ for diesel trucks

A North Carolina company and its owner have agreed to pay millions to settle accusations that they manufactured, sold, and installed “defeat devices” for diesel-powered trucks.

On September 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice announced that Rudy’s Performance Parts Inc. (Rudy’s) and owner Aaron Rudolf are to pay a combined $10 million in criminal fines and civil penalties for the manufacture, sale, and installation of automotive devices designed to remove or disable truck emissions controls, also known as defeat devices or “delete tuners.”

Rudy’s pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act and has additionally been ordered to complete a a three-year period of organizational probation.

In April 2024, Rudolf also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act by tampering with monitoring devices on approximately 300 diesel trucks, which involved the installation of defeat devices on those trucks. Rudolf was additionally sentenced to to three years of probation.

Officials say from at least 2014 through mid-2019, Rudy’s and Rudolf manufactured and sold over 250,000 products designed to remove or disable EPA-mandated emissions controls. The company’s top selling product was the Mini Maxx delete tuner; Rudy’s also sold the XRT Pro delete tuner.

“For too many years, companies like Rudy’s have installed illegal defeat devices to evade the public health protections of the Clean Air Act, to the detriment of communities across America,” said David M. Uhlmann, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that EPA will vigorously pursue criminal and civil penalties until this illegal behavior comes to an end.”

“Defeat devices, such as those sold by Rudy’s, can lead to pollution at high levels that pose health risks and harm the environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This plea agreement and civil settlement show that we will take strong action to enforce the Clean Air Act and emissions controls requirements for motor vehicles.”