A Windham man is facing up to five years in prison and a hefty fine for tampering with emissions monitoring technology installed on diesel trucks used in his business.
On Wednesday, Issac Allen pleaded guilty to altering the on-board diagnostic system of the trucks used for his business, Red Barn Diesel Performance, in order to misrepresent carbon emissions in reports to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to the United States district attorney’s office.
Between January 2017 and September 2020, Allen, 34, commissioned work from a local truck salesperson to install specialized software that would prevent the trucks’ required monitoring systems from detecting malfunctions.
Tampering with truck systems can cause diesel vehicles to increase output of harmful emissions, including nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, exceeding EPA guidelines and regulations, according to the U.S. agency.
When Allen was contacted by the EPA for information about the vehicles that had been altered, as well as information on how the systems had been altered, he underreported that number, according to court documents.
Allen could be sentenced to five years in prison, and faces a fine of up to $250,000. That fine may be adjusted, depending on whether Allen’s company saved money by performing the alterations, or if customer’s services were financially impacted by the alterations.
A sentencing date has not been determined at this time.
