The chief executive officer of a Georgia-based HVAC company has been charged with illegally importing 500 cylinders of potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the United States from Peru,
United States Attorney John Giordano said this case is the second prosecution in the United States under the AIM Act, and the first prosecution of a corporate executive.
William Randolph Hires a/k/a “Randy Hires,” 57, of Woodstock, Georgia and Lima, Peru, is charged by complaint with violating the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act) by unlawfully importing 500 cylinders of HFCs.
Hires appeared before US Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court this week.
The global warming impact of an HFC can be hundreds to thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. Because of this, in 2020 Congress enacted the AIM Act, which authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs by 85 per cent.
Dan Meyers, acting assistant special agent in charge for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, said the defendant’s actions in this case not only violated the AIM Act and created a threat to the environment they also unfairly disadvantaged other law-abiding US businesses.
"Today’s charges send a clear message: Enforcement of the law protects our air, land, and water, ensuring a brighter future for our citizens and a level playing field for American businesses and workers,” Meyers said.
ICE HSI Newark special agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, said Hires disregarded the nation’s environmental laws and put our country at risk with shipments containing potent greenhouse gases.
“We will hold individuals and corporations accountable for violating global trade regulations,” he said.