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Latest lawsuit against Pilot Flying J contends Haslam devised customer fraud scheme

Jimmy Haslam

Cleveland Browns owner-in-waiting Jimmy Haslam laughs on the sidelines before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in Cleveland. Haslam, who purchased majority ownership of the team from Randy Lerner, is expected to be approved as the Browns new owner by the NFL Oct. 16. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

AP

The lawsuits against Pilot Flying J keep piling up, all of them filed by customers who apparently aren’t reacting as intended to the company’s vow to make things right.

The latest suit claims that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was the one who made things wrong. According to the Tennessean, the suit filed Thursday by Wright Transportation of Mobile, Alabama contends Haslam devised the “nationwide scheme to defraud and cheat” customers.

The new lawsuit also contends that Haslam gave his “blessing” to the scam.

It’s unclear whether the plaintiff has evidence beyond information made public via the federal criminal investigation of the company. The 120-page affidavit supporting the warrant that permitted the search of the company’s headquarters claims that one management-level employee told a confidential informant that Haslam was aware of the scam. One of the five executives who have pleaded guilty to federal charges said in his plea deal that “senior management” knew about the fraudulent practices.