Nebraska Ford dealership fined for its role in Clean Air Act violation

A Nebraska Ford dealership was sentenced July 31 for accessory after the fact to a Clean Air Act violation.

Moody Motor Co. Inc. in Niobrara, Neb. was sentenced to one year of probation, a $125 special assessment fee and a fine of $39,741.95, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nebraska. The dealership sells new and used vehicles and has been in operation since 1955.

The Environmental Protection Agency in January 2022 was investigating a Dallas company that sold products to modify exhaust systems. During the investigation, it was discovered the company had sold about 14 modification kits to Moody Motor Co. between 2019 and 2022.

The EPA executed a search warrant on Moody in April 2022 and interviewed technicians, who admitted to performing aftermarket delete and tune work that violated the Clean Air Act. The employees estimated they installed the modification systems on 10 to 20 vehicles.

In one case, a technician did the work "because the truck was a trade in that needed a lot of work done on it to include having sensors out and that this was easier than replacing the sensors," the statement said.

The vehicle was later found and confirmed to have been illegally modified.

Moody Motor Co. declined to comment when reached by phone.