Darn it Canada, you’re supposed to be America’s hat and mind your own business. Instead, Canadians were involved in a smuggling ring to get emissions defeat devices in the United States. They were caught due to having an obvious name related to diesel vehicles. 

Canadian smugglers get caught with emissions defeat devices 

You can make a pretty penny selling emissions defeat devices in America to skirt around Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. 

However, doing so is illegal. The company involved is called ‘DPF Delete Shop, Inc.’ This caused the four men involved to stick out like sore thumbs. 

Father and son, Joshua and John Owens face six counts of smuggling, conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, and money laundering. 

According to The Drive, the men allegedly purchased a $33 million oath of emissions defeat devices from their Canadian associates, Kevin Paul Dodd and John Sweeny. 

The Owens made over $74 million in profit from selling and distributing these illegal devices for trucks and SUVs. One of the defendants felt as if the operation was on borrowed time in May of 2020 after the EPA took notice. 

It filed an inquiry into their business dealings. Then the Owens listed their business with an address in the Cayman Islands to continue working. 

Then they found an email trail where Dodd and Sweeney shared that they can get tons of stuff across the border. The emails shared that they didn’t want to work together via email. 

Now the Owens face up to five years in federal prison for conspiracy charges. The smuggling and money laundering charges add another 20 years. 

Plus, more fines are on the way. Ford example, Rudy’s Performance parts being hit with a $2.4 million charger, Sinister Diesel paying $1 million, and the Diesel Brothers getting hit with an $850,000 fine. 

Deleting diesel particulate filters puts the health and safety of drivers and their families at risk. It has even bigger impacts on children and individuals with asthma and other respiratory illnesses.