Pavel Ivanovich Turlak, a business owner in Spokane, Washington, has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act and fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds. The announcement was made by Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. Turlak is set to be sentenced on April 2, 2025.
Turlak's trucking companies—PT Express, LLC, Spokane Truck Service, LLC, and Pauls Trans, LLC—were involved in bypassing emissions controls required under the Clean Air Act. These regulations mandate that diesel trucks maintain systems to limit harmful emissions like diesel particulates. Exposure to such pollutants can cause serious health issues including asthma and respiratory illnesses.
Court documents revealed that from August 2017 to November 2023, Turlak purchased illegal "delete tune" files from Ryan Hugh Milliken and his company Hardaway Solutions, LLC based in Florida. These files disabled necessary emissions control systems in Turlak's trucks and those of his customers at Spokane Truck Service, LLC. Milliken and his company pleaded guilty to similar violations in November 2024.
In addition to environmental violations, Turlak admitted to fraudulently securing over $300,000 in COVID-19 relief funds between March 2020 and August 2021. Despite being ineligible due to ongoing legal infractions related to the Clean Air Act conspiracy, Turlak falsely certified eligibility for these federal funds meant for small businesses during the pandemic.
As part of the plea agreement, Turlak and his companies agreed to comply with Clean Air Act requirements moving forward.
U.S Attorney Waldref commented on the case: “Mr. Turlak pursued a business of profiting from pollution... Families in Eastern Washington deserve to breathe cleaner air.” She expressed gratitude for the efforts of partners on their Environmental Task Force.
The investigation was conducted by several agencies including the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and National Enforcement Investigations Center, along with assistance from the Small Business Administration's Office of Inspector General and the Spokane Police Department. Prosecutors handling the case are Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Jacob E. Brooks along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Gwendolyn Russell.