Really?? In 2024? I thought we left these stories behind in the 1990s!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct 21 2024
Kevin Wilkerson and his companies illegally charged tens of thousands of dollars for shoddy work that increased the risk of underground fuel leaksTACOMA — On Friday, a Pierce County judge ordered a local business owner to pay more than $360,000 in penalties and restitution for unlawfully charging gas station owners for unfinished, unnecessary, or shoddy work on underground fuel storage tanks. The order is the result of a consumer protection lawsuit filed by Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Wing Luke Civil Rights Division.
The judgment includes full restitution, plus interest, for nine gas station owners — all but one of whom identify as Korean or South Asian — who were scammed by Kevin Wilkerson and his companies, Northwest Environmental Services and Core Environmental Group. Wilkerson collected payment from the small businesses for work he did not perform or performed so poorly the businesses had to pay thousands more to other companies for the same services. In many cases, Wilkerson stopped responding to the owners of the gas stations when they attempted to contact him and refused to refund what they paid.
This story, not too far from our home office, is bad for a number of reasons.
- It puts a blight on all UST service providers who work hard to create a reputable industry through quality workmanship.
- Because most of the victims of these crimes were probably not English-as-a-first-language operators, this provider clearly took advantage of the language barrier.
- This company serviced many UST sites in the Pacific Northwest. Not every potential case has been identified, so the impact may be far greater than the nine cases flagged thus far.
- I know from personal experience that it takes a long time to build an adequate legal case to get to this point of action. This is a supreme waste of everyone’s time while we should be out there doing quality work.
- Small independent UST operators have a hard enough time running a busy, complex, environmentally sensitive business without having to second guess the integrity of the providers.
- Cardboard and duct tape repairs? Really, guys?
If you think Northwest Environmental Services and Core Environmental Group has worked on your UST system, please note the following:
From the WA AG’s Office: While the restitution provided by the court on Friday is limited to the nine impacted business owners who submitted declarations to the court, the Attorney General’s Office believes more businesses may have been harmed by Wilkerson’s conduct. Business owners who wish to report harm from Wilkerson or his companies should contact the Attorney General’s Office at [email protected] or toll-free by calling 1-833-660-4877 and selecting option 1.
