KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- With a U.S. district court judge's decision, the final federal lawsuit against Pilot Flying J Inc. over alleged diesel fuel rebate fraud has been dismissed, according to a report by WBIR.
All of the cases have either been dismissed, settled or are under negotiation to be settled, said the report.
A number of employees are still potentially facing criminal charges and others are awaiting sentencing.
The decision to dismiss the final federal suit came in late October when a U.S. District judge in Alabama agreed to toss one filed by Mobile, Ala.-based Wright Transportation at Wright's own request.
The company is expected to sue Pilot Flying J in state court at some point, the report said.
"The Alabama case is one of only several unsettled issues," a Pilot Flying J spokesperson told WBIR. "The company will continue to work to resolve this issue appropriately."
Ten former employees have pleaded guilty to a scheme to defraud customers over diesel fuel rebates since federal agents raided Pilot Flying J's headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn., in April 2013.
The 10 people include Arnold "Arnie" Ralenkotter, Northeast regional sales director; Ashley Judd, an account representative; Holly Radford, a regional account representative; Jay Stinnett, who worked with senior sales executives; Kevin Clark, a regional sales manager; Scott Fenwich, a regional sales manager; Janet Welch, former Pilot senior account manager; Christopher W. Andrews, a regional sales manager, and Lexie Holden, a sales representative.
Brian Mosher, former director of sales for national accounts, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and is the highest ranked executive to plead, said the report.
In addition, at least three top ranking former and current employees have received federal target letters, which are often the last step before an indictment. They include Former Pilot Flying J president Mark Hazelwood; John Freeman, the company's former vice president of sales; and Karen Crutchman, a senior accounts manager.
CEO and Cleveland Browns football team owner Jimmy Haslam has denied any knowledge or involvement in the scheme and has not been charged with any crime.
Pilot Flying J agreed to pay $92 million in fines and accept responsibility for the criminal conduct of its employees while the government agreed not to prosecute the company. The agreement required Pilot Flying J to comply with several conditions, including cooperation in the investigation of people who may have been involved in the fraud. It did not protect any individual from prosecution.
Most of the lawsuits against Pilot Flying J were resolved by a class-action settlement, in which the company agreed to pay out nearly $85 million to 5,500 customers.
Knoxville, Tenn.-based Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America, has more than 650 retail locations.
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