Pilot Flying J Faces Sixth Lawsuit

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Pilot Flying J is facing mounting legal woes as another trucking company filed suit against the locally-based truck stop operator over alleged rebate fraud.

The lawsuit, filed by Osborn Transportation of Gadsden, Ala., is the sixth such case since the FBI and Internal Revenue Service raided Pilot Flying J's headquarters on April 15. Prior to the raid, an FBI affidavit was filed that detailed the alleged fraud dating back several years. Investigation into the company's diesel rebate program began in 2011.

This new lawsuit doesn't ask for a specific amount of damages, but estimates the loss at more than $75,000. The company is seeking restitution, punitive damages and interest on the money lost, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Pilot Flying J has denied any wrongdoing and is cooperating fully with federal investigators. One week after the raid, CEO Jimmy Haslam outlined several steps the company is taking to address the issues raised in the investigation, as CSNews Online previously reported.

Four other trucking companies -- one each in Illinois, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama -- have also sued Pilot Flying J in federal court. A Georgia company has sued in Knox County Circuit Court in Tennessee, the newspaper added.

Pilot Flying J is a family-owned business that was started by Haslam's father in 1958. The company operates more than 650 retail locations and is the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America.