Maryland trucker pleads guilty to illegally dumping thousands of gallons of diesel fuel
BALTIMORE -- A Waldorf man pleaded guilty to unlawful discharge of oil after prosecutors said he illegally dumped thousands of gallons of diesel fuel in violation of Maryland environmental laws, according to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
Prosecutors said Larry Gross, 46, owned a trucking company, H&M Truckin, LLC., and was a contract employee of M. Pittman Enterprises (MPE). In an investigation, the state found that Gross dumped 5,342 gallons of diesel fuel between three locations in Anne Arundel County.
On October 4, 2023, around 2:01 a.m., Gross allegedly dumped fuel on the shoulder of Route 10 in Brooklyn Park before dumping more fuel in the 500 block of Digiulian Boulevard in Glen Burnie, according to the OAG.
Surveillance footage showed the fuel running down the truck and flowing down the roadway towards a storm drain that empties into a local pond.
Gross returned again to Brooklyn Park around 3:13 a.m. and dumped more diesel fuel. Gross later returned to the Motiva fuel terminal in Baltimore City and loaded 8,200 gallons of gasoline into his truck.
Later on October 4, the Maryland Department of the Environment's Emergency Response Division responded to the 500 block of Digiulian Boulevard to investigate a diesel fuel discharge. An inspection revealed that the fuel discharged from Gross's truck ran along the side of Digiulian Boulevard, traveled 250 yards downhill, and entered the storm drain. It then flowed underneath the Quarles gas station and discharged into a local sediment pond.
"Illegally dumping thousands of gallons of diesel fuel is an irresponsible act that jeopardizes public health. Toxins from this fuel can harm our waterways, contaminate our soil, and endanger our health," Maryland Attorney General Brown said. "Our Office will take action against truck drivers who risk Marylanders' safety in order to make a profit. Trucker drivers who handle fuel must comply with Maryland's laws and dispose of it properly."
Gross was sentenced to 60 days in the Anne Arundel County Detention Center and was ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 to the Maryland Oil Disaster Containment, Clean Up, and Contingency Fund. He was also placed on five years of supervised probation, according to the OAG.
