Logbook
Pilot exec says he'll testify against management, others
For all of Overdrive's coverage of
the Pilot Flying J allegations, visit
OverdriveOnline.com/pilot-raid.
scheme to cheat customers.
Jimmy Haslam, Pilot Flying J's chief
executive officer, has maintained he did
not know about the rebate withholding
scheme until the April 15 raid.
Salespeople from Pilot have been placed
on administrative leave, Haslam said. The
company has been sued at least a dozen
times since the allegations surfaced. a
dozen times since the allegations surfaced.
– James Jaillet
(Continued on Page 70)
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In a plea agreement made June
11 in a U.S. District Court in
Knoxville, Tenn., Pilot Flying J
executive James Stinnett – who
worked in sales at the company
and was promoted in 2011 to
an advisory position – said Pilot
senior management knew about
the fuel rebate withholding
scheme the company allegedly
engaged in for about seven years
and agreed to testify.
Stinnett confessed his
involvement in the case to
federal officers who raided
Pilot headquarters April 15.
He pleaded guilty to charges
of conspiracy to commit mail
fraud and faces up to 20 years
imprisonment, a fine of up to
$250,000 and up to three years
of supervised release, according
to court documents.
Four other Pilot employees also
have pleaded guilty to mail fraud
charges since the raid.
In exchange for open testimony
from Stinnett and him furnishing
documents and other evidence,
prosecution will not use "any
self-incriminating information
provided," the plea agreement says.
No members of Pilot's senior
management were named
directly in the agreement,
but it does say Stinnett
"actively participated in a
Pilot business meeting that
included Pilot direct sales
division vice presidents and
directors and Pilot senior
management" in which Stinnett
and management discussed the
fraudulent rebate withholding
and decided to teach Pilot
sales directors and account
representatives how to use the
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