by Salt Lake City, UT — David “Heavy D” Sparks, star of the Discovery Channel’s reality series Diesel Brothers, was arrested after a Utah judge found him in contempt for failing to pay nearly $850,000 in fines related to violations of the Clean Air Act.
Sparks, who starred in the eight-season reality series, was ordered to pay a total of $843,602.23 after he was found to have illegally modified his vehicles’ exhaust systems to produce harmful black smoke, violating federal air pollution laws.
Court Orders Arrest for Contempt
On October 2, a court order was issued by a Utah judge commanding the arrest and incarceration of Sparks for “repeatedly and willfully” ignoring court orders to pay the fines. Sparks was booked into Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday but was released shortly thereafter, according to reports from The Independent.
“No crime was charged or alleged,” Sparks’ lawyer, Cole Cannon, clarified after his client’s release, stating that the arrest was “a grave injustice to the Sparks family.”
Background of the Lawsuit
The legal battle began in 2017, when Sparks was sued for modifying his vehicles to emit toxic black smoke. This modification violated the Clean Air Act, a federal law aimed at reducing air pollution.
In March 2020, Sparks was fined $843,602.23 after investigations revealed that he had committed over 400 violations of the Clean Air Act by altering his diesel trucks’ exhaust systems.
Court filings showed that Sparks failed to pay any portion of the fine, leading to a contempt ruling in June 2024. The court then issued an enforcement order in January 2025, demanding Sparks to produce documents and information, including photos and business records related to his vehicles and operations.
Ongoing Legal Struggles
Sparks has been found in contempt multiple times for failing to comply with the court’s orders. In August 2025, he was found to have violated four of the court’s orders, including failing to submit required documents and not paying the fines.
The court filing indicates that Sparks may resolve the contempt order by either paying the full fine or by settling some of the ongoing issues through various filings.
Diesel Brothers and the Fallout
Sparks’ arrest and legal troubles have sparked public debate, particularly given his fame from Diesel Brothers, a show that ran from 2016 to 2022. The show followed Sparks and his co-star David “Diesel Dave” Kiley as they repurposed old diesel trucks into custom vehicles, often for use in elaborate pranks and stunts.
In an August 2025 YouTube video, Sparks described the ongoing lawsuit as “an absolute nightmare,” reflecting on the mistakes made early in the business.
“There’s a lot of things about the lawsuit that I don’t feel are fair,” Sparks admitted. “And there’s a lot of things with the lawsuit that we deserve because we made some mistakes in the early days of our business by, you know, deleting trucks and having, you know, smoky trucks and stuff like that. And that’s stuff that I’m not proud of.”
Community Reaction and Next Steps
As Sparks continues to battle the legal and financial fallout, Diesel Brothers fans and critics alike are divided. Some sympathize with Sparks’ admissions of past mistakes, while others argue that his actions have had long-term environmental impacts.
The case remains ongoing, and Sparks faces an uphill legal battle to resolve his contempt charges and settle the $843,602.23 fine.
What are your thoughts on the Diesel Brothers star’s arrest and legal troubles? Share your views in the comments below.
