A Mississippi man is the latest to file a lawsuit against Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and his family's Pilot Flying J over claims that the company withheld rebates to boost profits and some employees' commissions.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, discussing the federal investigation into his family's business, Pilot Flying J. A Mississippi man is taking on Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and his family's company, Pilot Flying J, in another lawsuit over fuel rebates linked to the federal investigation of the truck stop magnate.
Bruce Taylor of Holmes County, Miss., filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Jackson, claiming that Haslam's company withheld "tens of millions of dollars in diesel fuel price rebates and discounts from customers since at least 2005, in violation of state and federal law."
The suit was filed last week, bringing the number of lawsuits against Haslam and his company to four. Companies in Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia have filed similar claims. They have asked judges to have their cases ruled as class-actions, an attempt to permit a large number of similarly situated people to bring their case to one courtroom, according to court papers.
Taylor's suit, like the others, uses an FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville, Tenn., as its road map. The FBI document was used to obtain a judge's permission to search Pilot Flying J's headquarters and the homes of some of the company's sales executives.
The document said Haslam knew about the fraud committed by top sales officials at the company, and it accused employees of defrauding unsophisticated trucking companies through a diesel rebate program. The FBI and IRS have investigated the rebate program for two years, and the federal affidavit says they are investigating charges of conspiracy and mail and wire fraud.
No one has been charged.
The lawsuit cited the federal affidavit for key details, including that Cathy Giesick, a former regional manager for the Pilot Flying J, told FBI agents that Brian Mosher, the company's director of national sales, intentionally withheld a portion of the agreed-upon rebate with truckers and companies.
The suit does not describe Taylor or his occupation. A family member said he was a truck driver. His attorney, Don Barrett, could not be reached.
Haslam has acknowledged his chain of truck stops has suffered from publicity over the raids by federal agents. He has called for a series of changes in the way Pilot Flying J does business and has attempted to contact customers of his family's company and correct any problems.
A spokeswoman for the company could not be reached late Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement last week, Rachel Albright, a spokeswoman for Haslam said: "We've been advised by counsel class-action lawsuits in a matter like this are expected and no surprise. Our counsel will review them as they come and defend them."