A Spokane trucking company owner has admitted to tampering with pollution control devices in diesel trucks and fraudulently securing COVID-19 relief funds.
The details: Pavel Ivanovich Turlak, owner of PT Express, LLC, Spokane Truck Service, LLC, and Pauls Trans, LLC, pleaded guilty to these charges.
- Between August 2017 and November 2023, Turlak acquired "delete tune" files from Ryan Hugh Milliken and his company, Hardaway Solutions, LLC. These files disable emissions control systems in trucks.
- Turlak used these illegal files on his businesses' trucks and those of co-conspirators.
COVID-19 relief fraud: From March 2020 to August 2021, Turlak falsely obtained over $300,000 in government relief funds, which were meant for eligible small businesses during the pandemic.
He and his companies were ineligible for these funds due to their ongoing violations, but he provided false certification of eligibility.
Consequences: Turlak's sentencing is slated for April 2, 2025, in Spokane, Washington, according to an official press release.