Local biz owners plead guilty to violating Clean Air Act

Two local business owners have pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act.

Dennis Cleveland, 73, of Kirbyville, and Robert Dyche, 67, of Springfield, pleaded guilty on March 9 and March 13, respectively, according to news release from the office of Teresa Moore, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Both business owners pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act. Additionally, Cleveland pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a Clean Air Act monitoring device.

Cleveland, the owner of Affordable Towing, admitted that since 2011 he directed employees to physically disable emissions control components on multiple heavy-duty diesel tow trucks, according to the release. He conspired with Dyche, the owner and operator of Full Flash Tuning, to alter the vehicles, federal officials say.

Cleveland, whose company performed roadside, recovery, hauling and mobile repair for commercial and private automobiles throughout southwest Missouri, is subject to a sentence of up to seven years in federal prison without parole under federal statutes. Dyche would receive up to five years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.