USA et al v. E-BIOFUELS, LLC et al
Plaintiff: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Defendant: ASTRA ENERGY CANADA, INC, ASTRA OIL COMPANY, LLC, AUGSBURG ENERGY, LLC, STEVE BOLIN, CARAVAN TRADING, LLC, BRIAN D CARMICHAEL, ALEXANDER CHEPURKO, CIMA ENERGY GROUP, CIMA GREEN, LLC, CHAD D DUCEY, CHRISTOPHER D. DUCEY, CRAIG D DUCEY, E-BIOFUELS WEST, LLC, E-BIOFUELS, LLC, ELEMENT ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, LLC, FLYING J INC., CHRISTINE M FURANDO, JOSEPH S FURANDO, GREEN GREASE SOLUTIONS, LLC, IMPERIAL PETROLEUM, INC., VERN MANWARRING, TROY MCKEE, REID MILLER, ROBERT "JAY" PIERCE, PINNACLE BIOFUELS, INC, ANDREW POLLOCK, J GREGORY THAGARD, EVELYN KATARINA TRACY, TRU VERDE, LLC, ULTRA GREEN ENERGY SERVICES, LLC, VISION BIODIESEL, INC, WERKS MANAGEMENT, LLC, GARY WILLIKY, AARON WILSON and JEFFREY T. WILSON
Relator: ALEXANDER CHEPURKO and GARY WILLIKY
Case Number: 1:2014cv00377
Filed: March 11, 2014
Court: US District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Office: Indianapolis Office
Presiding Judge: Mark J. Dinsmore
Presiding Judge: Tanya Walton Pratt
Nature of Suit: False Claims Act
Cause of Action: 31 U.S.C. ยง 3729 False Claims Act
Jury Demanded By: Plaintiff

Available Case Documents

The following documents for this case are available for you to view or download:

Date Filed Document Text
July 23, 2021 Opinion or Order Filing 451 ENTRY ON MOTION IN LIMINE - This matter is before the Court on a Motion in Limine filed by Plaintiff-Relator Alexander Chepurko (Filing No. 431 ). The Motion in Limine is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Ms. Furando may provide testimony and th e motion in limine is limited to the two narrow questions propounded in Interrogatories 7 and 9. An order in limine is not a final, appealable order. If the parties believe that specific evidence is admissible or inadmissible during the course of the bench trial, counsel may raise specific objections to that evidence. (See Order). Copy sent pursuant to distribution list. Signed by Judge Tanya Walton Pratt on 7/23/2021. (AKH)
April 30, 2020 Opinion or Order Filing 396 ENRTY ON PLAINTIFF'S MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT OR ALTERNATIVELY DEFAULT JUDGMENT - For the foregoing reasons, the Court GRANTS Chepurko's Motion for Summary Judgment against Defendants Chad Ducey, Craig Ducey, Joseph Furando, and Jeff rey Wilson (Filing No. 290 ), and the Motion for Default Judgment, or Alternatively, Motion for Summary Judgment Against e- Biofuels, LLC, Imperial Petroleum, Inc., Caravan Trading, LLC, and Cima Green, LLC (Filing No. 292 .) Joseph Furando, Crai g Ducey, Chad Ducey, Jeffrey Wilson, e-Biofuels, Caravan, Cima Green, and Imperial are each held jointly and severally liable on the substantive FCA claim and the FCA conspiracy claim in the amount of $69,610,999.00. Chepurko's Motion fo r Summary Judgment against Christine Furando ( Filing No. 294 ) is DENIED. Joseph Furando's Motion for Appointment of Counsel (Filing No. 391 ) is DENIED for the reasons stated in prior Orders (Filing No. 301 , Filing No. 284 , Filing No. 277 , Filing No. 253 ), and because the Motion is now moot. The Clerk is directed to terminate Defendants Chad Ducey, Craig Ducey, Joseph Furando, and Jeffrey Wilson; as well as the defaulted business entities, Defendants e-Biofuels, LLC, Imper ial Petroleum, Inc., Caravan Trading, LLC, and Cima Green, LLC., as parties in this case. The claims in Count I and II against Christine Furando may proceed to trial. (See Order.) Copies via US Mail per distribution list. Signed by Judge Tanya Walton Pratt on 4/30/2020. (NAD)
March 3, 2020 Opinion or Order Filing 390 ORDER denying Plaintiff-Relator Alexander Chepurko's 374 Motion for Sanctions and Default Judgment. See Order for details. Copy to Joseph Furando and Chad Ducey via US Mail. Signed by Magistrate Judge Mark J. Dinsmore on 3/3/2020. (SWM) (Main Document 390 replaced on 3/4/2020) (SWM).
January 10, 2019 Opinion or Order Filing 323 ORDER ON MOTION TO DISMISS AND MOTION FOR JUDICIAL NOTICE OF EXHIBITS - For the foregoing reasons, Ms. Furando's Motion to Dismiss (Filing No. 238 ) is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Count IV of the Second Amended Complaint is dismissed; however, Counts I- III remain pending. Additionally, Chepurko's Motion for Judicial Notice of Exhibits ( Filing No. 256 ) is GRANTED. (See Entry.) Copies per distribution list. Signed by Judge Tanya Walton Pratt on 1/10/2019. (NAD)
December 4, 2018 Opinion or Order Filing 315 ORDER: This matter comes before the Court on the submission of Defendant Joseph Furando. [Dkt. 314 .] Joseph Furando's submission appears to be a witness and exhibit list, except that it requests the Court to conduct certain discovery and requests an amendment of the Plaintiff/Relator's witness list. [Id.] Final witness and exhibit lists were due to be filed on or before October 22, 2018. [Dkt. 208 at 1-2.] To the extent Joseph Furando intends for Docket No. 314 to serve as his final witness and exhibit list, the Court sua sponte enlarges the time for Joseph Furando to file his final witness and exhibit lists to and including October 30, 2018, and therefore deems Docket No. 314 to be timely filed. With regard to Joseph Furando's request that the Court conduct discovery on his behalf, that motion is DENIED. The parties may conduct discovery pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, but the Court do es not conduct discovery on behalf of any party. Likewise, while Defendant Joseph Furando may identify any witnesses he believes to be relevant to the matter, there is no basis for a Defendant to request the Plaintiff/Relator to amend his witness list. Accordingly, that request is also DENIED. See Order for additional information. Copies via US Mail. Signed by Magistrate Judge Mark J. Dinsmore on 12/4/2018. (SWM)
September 24, 2018 Opinion or Order Filing 301 ENTRY ON PENDING MOTIONS - In this district, the Court simply does not have enough lawyers willing and qualified to accept a pro bono assignment in every pro se case. The Court recognizes Furando's frustration with self- representation and hi s difficulty in acquiring documents and accessing to legal research material. However, thus far, his efforts in self-representation are clearly competent and sufficient. The Court again affirms that it will be alert to the possibility of recruitin g counsel if in fact this matter proceeds to trial or at other points in the case where Furando's incarceration and pro se status would make it particularly difficult for him to proceed without representation and where the assistance of couns el would be a benefit to both Furando and the Court. For these reasons, the Motion to Appoint Counsel, dkt. 299 is denied. The Court acknowledges Furando's pro se status and finds good cause exists for granting the motion. Accordingly, the Motion for Extension of time, dkt. 300 is granted. Furando shall have until December 10, 2018 to file his response to the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment at Dkt. 290 . Copies per distribution list. Signed by Judge Tanya Walton Pratt on 9/24/2018. (NAD) Modified on 9/25/2018 - Edited for administrative purposes (NAD).
March 12, 2018 Opinion or Order Filing 227 ORDER ADOPTING REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS -On February 20, 2018, the Magistrate Judge submitted a Report and Recommendation (Dkt. 206 ). The parties were afforded due opportunity pursuant to statute and the rules of this Court to file objections; none were filed. The Court, having considered the Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation, hereby adopts the Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation. The clerk is directed to enter default against Defendants Caravan Trading, LLC and Cima Green LLC. Copies to parties per the distribution list. Signed by Judge Tanya Walton Pratt on 3/12/2018.(BRR) (Main Document 227 replaced on 3/13/2018) (BRR).
February 12, 2018 Opinion or Order Filing 201 ENTRY - 185 Motion to Set Aside Default is granted. The Clerk is directed to update the docket to reflect that the Clerk's Entry of Default against Christine (Filing No. 193 ) has been set aside. Signed by Judge Tanya Walton Pratt on 2/12/2018. (Copy mailed to CARAVAN TRADING, LLC, CIMA GREEN, LLC, Joseph Furando, Joyce R Branda, and Tracy Lyle Hilmer) (MEJ)
August 25, 2014 Opinion or Order Filing 78 ORDER granting 58 Motion to Stay; denying 60 Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim; denying 63 Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; denying 66 Motion to Strike ; denying 68 Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim; denying 70 Motion for Clerk's Entry of Default. **SEE ORDER**. Signed by Judge Tanya Walton Pratt on 8/25/2014.(MGG)
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Search for this case: USA et al v. E-BIOFUELS, LLC et al
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Defendant: ASTRA ENERGY CANADA, INC
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Defendant: ASTRA OIL COMPANY, LLC
Represented By: Barry M. Hartman
Represented By: Christine A. Jochim
Represented By: Lawrence Coe Lanpher
Represented By: Alice McKenzie Morical
Represented By: Amanda L.B. Mulroony
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Defendant: AUGSBURG ENERGY, LLC
Represented By: James H. Voyles
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Defendant: STEVE BOLIN
Represented By: TAFT STETTINIUS & HOLLISTER LLP
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Defendant: CARAVAN TRADING, LLC
Represented By: James H. Voyles
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Defendant: BRIAN D CARMICHAEL
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Defendant: ALEXANDER CHEPURKO
Represented By: David K. Colapinto
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Defendant: CIMA ENERGY GROUP
Represented By: James H. Voyles
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Defendant: CIMA GREEN, LLC
Represented By: James H. Voyles
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Defendant: CHAD D DUCEY
Represented By: David F. Hurley
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Defendant: CHRISTOPHER D. DUCEY
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Defendant: CRAIG D DUCEY
Represented By: Theodore John Minch
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Defendant: E-BIOFUELS WEST, LLC
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Defendant: E-BIOFUELS, LLC
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Defendant: ELEMENT ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, LLC
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Defendant: FLYING J INC.
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Defendant: CHRISTINE M FURANDO
Represented By: James H. Voyles
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Defendant: JOSEPH S FURANDO
Represented By: James H. Voyles
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Defendant: GREEN GREASE SOLUTIONS, LLC
Represented By: James H. Voyles
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Defendant: IMPERIAL PETROLEUM, INC.
Represented By: Michele Lorbieski Anderson
Represented By: Thomas W. Farlow
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Defendant: VERN MANWARRING
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Defendant: TROY MCKEE
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Defendant: REID MILLER
Represented By: Barry M. Hartman
Represented By: Christine A. Jochim
Represented By: Lawrence Coe Lanpher
Represented By: Alice McKenzie Morical
Represented By: Amanda L.B. Mulroony
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Defendant: ROBERT "JAY" PIERCE
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Defendant: PINNACLE BIOFUELS, INC
Represented By: TAFT STETTINIUS & HOLLISTER LLP
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Defendant: ANDREW POLLOCK
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Defendant: J GREGORY THAGARD
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Defendant: EVELYN KATARINA TRACY
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Defendant: TRU VERDE, LLC
Represented By: James H. Voyles
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Defendant: ULTRA GREEN ENERGY SERVICES, LLC
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Defendant: VISION BIODIESEL, INC
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Defendant: WERKS MANAGEMENT, LLC
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Defendant: GARY WILLIKY
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Defendant: AARON WILSON
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Defendant: JEFFREY T. WILSON
Represented By: Michele Lorbieski Anderson
Represented By: Thomas W. Farlow
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Relator: ALEXANDER CHEPURKO
Represented By: David K. Colapinto
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Relator: GARY WILLIKY
Represented By: Chris D Collins
Represented By: Matthew K. Walton
Represented By: Spencer D. Solomon
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Plaintiff: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Represented By: Joyce R Branda
Represented By: Tracy Lyle Hilmer
Represented By: Brian J. McCabe
Represented By: Shelese M. Woods
Represented By: Clayton Ray Mahaffey-DOJ
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