In The News

3 more plead guilty in probe of Pilot Flying J

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Three more employees of the truck stop chain owned by the Cleveland Browns' owner and Tennessee's governor pleaded guilty Tuesday in what authorities call a scheme to cheat trucking firms out of rebates.

Regional sales manager Kevin Clark pleaded guilty to mail fraud in federal court in Knoxville. Local media reported that account manager Holly Radford and salesman Jay Stinnett entered similar pleas later in the day.

Court records state Clark "knowingly and voluntarily joined and participated in the conspiracy" with others at Pilot Flying J, the country's largest diesel retailer, to short-change trucking companies between 2009 and this spring in order to increase Pilot profits and boost sales commissions.

Federal agents raided the privately held company's Knoxville headquarters in April. Pilot is run by Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, the brother of Gov. Bill Haslam. Jimmy Haslam has denied any personal wrongdoing.

"We are disappointed in the actions of these employees towards our customers," Pilot spokesman Tom Ingram said in a statement. "We assure our customers that our five-step plan to correct any wrongdoing and to make certain these actions do not happen again is ongoing."

The governor maintains he is not involved with operating Pilot Flying J, though he continues to hold an undisclosed ownership stake in the company posting annual revenues of $31 billion.

 The Trucker staff can be reached to comment on this article at [email protected].

www.theTrucker.com