A Florida man has admitted to being part of a multi-million dollar fraud involving renewable fuel credits, the U.S. Justice Department has reported. Royce Gillham, a manager with a Fort Pierce-based biofuel company, pleaded guilty to charges related to overstating his company’s biodiesel production. This deception led to the fraudulent generation of more than $7 million in EPA renewable fuels credits and more than $6 million in unearned tax credits.
In an example of profits over truth, Gillham’s scheme involved reporting inflated biodiesel production volumes to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency. His goal was to gain additional credits, which could be sold or used to meet renewable fuel standards. When federal auditors pressed for proof of production and customers, Gillham, along with his accomplices, provided false information.
The charges against Gillham include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing false claims, for which he could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine, according to the plea agreement. The court has yet to schedule a date for sentencing. The
United States Attorney’s Office
for the Southern District of Florida, led by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, announced the guilty plea along with officials from the Justice Department and representatives from both the IRS and EPA investigative divisions.
The IRS Criminal Investigation Miami Field Office and the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division spearheaded the probe into the biofuel company’s practices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Funk and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman are the lead prosecutors on a case that sheds light on the darker side of the burgeoning renewable energy sector. “This case shows we will vigorously prosecute those who undermine the integrity of the environmental regulatory system to line their own pockets.” Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim from the Environment and Natural Resources Division, as per
United States Attorney’s Office
.
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