Former FBI Director to Investigate Pilot Flying J as Part of Lawsuit
The law firm representing one of the trucking companies suing truckstop operator Pilot Flying J has brought on a big gun to help with the investigation – former FBI Director Louis Freeh.
Evan Lockridge・Former Business Contributing Editor
May 15, 2013
Pilot Flying J has been accused of bilking some trucking companies out of their fuel rebates.
2 min to read
Pilot Flying J has been accused of bilking some trucking companies out of their fuel rebates.
The law firm representing one of the trucking companies suing truckstop operator Pilot Flying J has brought on a big gun to help with the investigation – former FBI Director Louis Freeh.
WEWS-TV in Cleveland, Ohio, reports Freeh and his Freeh Group International Solutions have been retained to work on the lawsuit, which arose out of FBI and IRS allegations that Pilot Flying J cheated carriers out of rebates for fuel purchases. Savannah, Ga., attorney Mark Tate, who represents Atlantic Coast Carriers, confirmed the selection of Freeh to the TV station.
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Atlantic Coast Carriers was the first trucking company to file suit against Pilot Flying J since its headquarters was raided a month ago in Knoxville by the FBI and IRS. The suit seek class action status to represent “all persons or entities who have sustained economic losses as a result of [Pilot Flying J’s] wrongful withholding of rebate funds.” Since that time a total of six federal lawsuits have been filed.
On its website, Freeh Group International Solutions describes itself as “a global risk management firm serving in the areas of business integrity and compliance, safety and security, and investigations and due diligence.” It notes that in addition to being headed up by Freeh, who is also a former federal judge, the firm has “former senior law enforcement officials, legal consultants, accountants, and security and compliance experts.”
Freeh and his law firm, Freeh Sporkin & Sullivan, issued an independent report in July of last year into the facts and circumstances of the actions of Penn State University surrounding child abuse committed by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who was sentenced to prison last October.
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No one has been charged in the Pilot Flying J investigation. CEO Jimmy Haslam has said he had no knowledge about the company allegedly bilking some trucking companies out of money and has described the entire incident as “sickening.”
Since the raid the company says it taken steps to address the situation, including hiring a special independent counsel, along with a head of a committee to review the report by independent counsel, with the latter choice drawing some attention because of ties between him and the Haslam family, which owns Pilot Flying J.
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