A Multnomah County Circuit Court judge has ruled that Merlin K. Thompson of Tillamook must repay $1.8 million in monthly installments of $50 to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that he admitted defrauding.

He Made False Claims for Compensation From the Clean Fuels Program

Judge Andrew Lavin, who described the 55-year-old as indigent and also sentenced him to two years imprisonment, heard that Thompson submitted false reports to the DEQ, claiming he operated three electric vehicle chargers in Sheridan, a city in Yamhill County.

Thompson falsely claimed that he was eligible for compensation from the state’s Clean Fuels Program, requiring fossil fuel companies to cut emission rates by 37% by 2035. Eligible companies could buy carbon credits for environmentally friendly

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