How The EPA Made It a Felony to Keep America Running
Dear Reader,
Troy Lake is 65 years old.
For decades, he kept Cheyenne, Wyoming running. Fixed farm trucks, snowplows, ambulances, school buses.
Then the EPA sent him to federal prison for fixing trucks.
Let me explain.
Troy Lake, 65, went to federal prison for fixing diesel engines in subzero Wyoming—he removed failing emissions systems that left ambulances, snowplows, and fire trucks stranded, but the EPA calls that "tampering" and threatens 5 years in prison plus $250,000 in fines per vehicle.
Emissions systems cost truckers $1,500 per failure, happen constantly, and can bankrupt independent owner-operators who haul 70% of America's freight—while fire departments, ambulances, and snowplows sit disabled because EPA regulations make common-sense repairs a federal felony.
Senator Lummis's Diesel Truck Liberation Act would end mandatory DPF/SCR requirements and protect mechanics from prosecution—recognizing that modern engine technology can meet emission goals without criminalizing the people who keep America moving.
The System That Breaks
Since 2010, every diesel engine comes with emissions equipment. Filters and catalytic reduction units meant to clean the air.
They break constantly.
Filters clog. Units freeze in cold weather. The engine goes into "limp mode" and stops working.
Each failure costs $5,000 and takes days to fix. For independent truckers? That's bankruptcy. For winter ambulance services? That's lives at risk.
What Troy Did
When emissions systems failed in Wyoming winters, Troy made a choice.
Follow EPA rules and leave critical vehicles broken? Or fix them and keep his community safe?
He fixed them. Removed the failing components. Reprogrammed the engines. Got trucks running.
Federal law calls this "tampering." Penalty? Up to five years in prison. $250,000 in fines per vehicle.
June 2024: Troy pleaded guilty. December 2024: Sentenced to a year in prison. Shop fined $52,500 and shut down.
While in prison, he worked on the prison's diesel equipment. The same skills that made him valuable inside made him a criminal outside.
Now he's home with a felony record. Can't work his trade. Lost everything.
The Real Cost
Emissions repairs cost truckers 13% of total maintenance—$1,500 per incident. Plus days of downtime.
Independent owner-operators haul 70% of America's freight. These repairs bankrupt them.
Fire departments, ambulances, snowplows—all diesel. When they break down and repairs are illegal, people die.
A heart attack doesn't wait for EPA compliance.
The Technology Exists
Modern engine technology can meet strict emission limits without the hardware that keeps failing.
New controls and sensors work better. Fewer repairs. Same clean air.
But bureaucrats won't update 15-year-old regulations. Easier to send mechanics to prison than admit they're wrong.
About Control, Not Clean Air
Should Washington tell a Wyoming farmer how to run his truck? Or should local communities balance environmental goals with economic reality?
What works in California doesn't work in Wyoming. What works in summer fails in winter.
This isn't about clean air. It's about control.
The Solution
Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis introduced the Diesel Truck Liberation Act in October 2025.
Remove mandatory federal requirements for failing systems. Limit EPA enforcement. Protect mechanics from prosecution. Provide retroactive relief—vacate sentences, clear records, refund fines.
President Trump recently pardoned Troy Lake. Good start.
But one pardon doesn't fix the system. The bill sits in the Senate Environment Committee now. Hearings expected later this year.
Bottom Line
Troy Lake went to prison for keeping ambulances running in subzero weather.
Emissions systems fail constantly, costing $1,500 each time. Emergency vehicles are disabled because repairs are federal crimes.
Modern technology can meet environmental goals without criminalizing mechanics.
America runs on diesel. Freight, farms, first responders. Making it illegal to maintain those engines cripples the economy and punishes people keeping America moving.
Congress needs to pass the Diesel Truck Liberation Act.
Because when the government makes it illegal to fix broken things, we're all in trouble.
Me? I'm paying attention.
This is what happens when bureaucrats run the economy instead of letting people solve real problems.
And if they can do this to diesel mechanics, they can do it to anyone.
Robert Kiyosaki
Editor, Money Power and Profit
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