Biodiesel scam case draws civil lawsuit

PONTOTOC, Miss. (AP) — Former biofuels business partners W. Tommy Tacker II and Janey Tyner allege they were duped by a Tennessee businessman into getting involved in a scam that defrauded a biofuels subsidy program.

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports (http://bit.ly/ZAkEFl ) that Tacker and Tyner seek compensatory and punitive damages. The lawsuit was filed this past week in Pontotoc County against H. Max Speight of Martin, Tenn.

Tacker and Tyner allege they were "ignorant" of Speight's lies and misrepresentations.

Tacker and Speight were indicted in 2009 on federal charges of conspiracy and fraud totaling some $2.89 million in biodiesel subsidies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Tacker was convicted in 2010 and was sentenced to five years in prison. Speight pleaded guilty, testified against Tacker and was sentenced to 26 months.

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Information from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, http://djournal.com