Jimmy Haslam’s Pilot Flying J skirts prosecution in deal with feds

The country’s largest truck stop chain has been embattled for over a year by a federal criminal investigation into alleged diesel fuel rebate fraud. Though the investigation will continue, the company stated on Monday that it had “reached an understanding with the U.S. Attorney’s office” and the U.S. Department of Justice that will spare it from prosecution.

Pilot Flying J has agreed to pay the fine over a two-year period and fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

“The terms of this agreement, including the significant monetary penalty and the very serious consequences if Pilot fails to comply, demonstrate quite clearly that no corporation, no matter how big, influential, or wealthy, is above the law,” U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said in the statement from the feds.

“The agreement ensures that Pilot’s extensive remediation efforts will continue until all trucking company victims have received full restitution and until Pilot has demonstrated to the United States that it has implemented sufficient internal controls to prevent this kind of fraudulent conduct from ever occurring again,” Killian continued.

“We, as a company, look forward to putting this whole unfortunate episode behind us, continuing our efforts to rectify the damage done, regaining our customers’ trust, and getting on with our business,” Haslam said in a release. “We’ve been committed from the beginning of this to doing the right thing, and that remains our commitment.”

While $92 million is nothing to scoff at, Pilot Flying J generates nearly $29 billion in revenue annually, according to WKYC.

Haslam, who bought the Browns in 2012, took over as CEO of Pilot Flying J from his father, who founded the company in 1958.