Ohio Truck Sales, a used semi-truck and heavy equipment dealership in Sandusky, has faced two kinds of legal trouble: a 2020 criminal indictment of its owner and a manager on felony environmental charges brought by the Ohio Attorney General, and civil lawsuits from buyers alleging they were sold defective trucks. The Ohio Truck Sales lawsuits in the public record include a 2020 federal product-liability case and a 2025 federal suit by Curleys Transport that a judge dismissed on contract grounds in August 2025.
The 2020 Criminal Indictment
On September 10, 2020, an Erie County grand jury indicted CEO Christopher Andrews and manager William Broski in Erie County Common Pleas Court. Andrews was charged with tampering with evidence (a third-degree felony), illegal dumping of scrap tires (an unclassified felony), and falsification (a first-degree misdemeanor). Broski was charged with tampering with evidence and falsification.1Sandusky Register. Ohio Truck Sales Owner, Manager Indicted
The charges came out of a 2018 Ohio EPA investigation into the dealership’s former Perkins Township facility, which drew complaints about unauthorized commercial paint-spraying. Prosecutors also alleged the illegal dumping of more than 100 scrap tires on an adjacent Ohio Edison property along George Street. According to a bill of particulars, Andrews emailed the Erie County Health Department saying he had dumped the tires there “as leverage in negotiating a purchase of the property,” and later admitted to the Ohio EPA that he had ordered the dumping. Ohio Edison paid to have the tires removed.1Sandusky Register. Ohio Truck Sales Owner, Manager Indicted
Both men pleaded not guilty. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Egbert Jr. As of June 2021 it was still in pretrial, with jury trials set for August 9, 2021.2Sandusky Register. Truck Dealer Has Upcoming Court Dates The available record does not document a final verdict, plea, or dismissal.
Curleys Transport v. Ohio Truck Sales (2025)
On March 31, 2025, Curleys Transport sued Ohio Truck Sales in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (Case No. 3:25-cv-00628), seeking a declaratory judgment. The company alleged that a 2007 Kenworth W900L it bought from the dealership had several defects, including what it called an “unlawfully modified engine control module” that left the truck inoperable. Curleys argued the purchase contract was unenforceable on grounds of fraudulent inducement and as an adhesion contract.3Justia. Curleys Transport v. Ohio Truck Sales, Memorandum Opinion
Ohio Truck Sales moved to dismiss, citing a forum-selection clause in the sales contract that named the Erie County Court of Common Pleas as the exclusive venue for disputes. On August 26, 2025, Judge Jack Zouhary granted the motion, finding the clause “valid and enforceable” and covering the relief Curleys sought. The judge denied the dealership’s request for sanctions against the plaintiff. The dismissal did not decide the underlying defect claims; it sent them to Ohio state court.3Justia. Curleys Transport v. Ohio Truck Sales, Memorandum Opinion
Blackwell v. Ohio Truck Sales (2020)
A separate case, Blackwell v. Ohio Truck Sales, LLC (Case No. 20-222), was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in Toledo. Court records classify it as “Contract Product Liability” under diversity jurisdiction.4GovInfo. Blackwell v. Ohio Truck Sales, LLC The available record does not detail the specific allegations or the outcome.
Class Actions and Enforcement Actions
Individual buyers have posted complaints on consumer review platforms about misrepresented vehicle condition, and some commenters have asked publicly whether an organized suit exists. No class action or Ohio Attorney General consumer-protection enforcement action against Ohio Truck Sales appears in the available record.5PACER Monitor. Curleys Transport v. Ohio Truck Sales, LLC et al
What This Means If You’re Buying a Used Commercial Truck
Commercial truck buyers get fewer statutory protections than people buying passenger cars for personal use. Ohio’s lemon law doesn’t cover used vehicles except those resold within the first year or 18,000 miles, and it specifically excludes trucks used for business. Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act (Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1345) applies to transactions made for “personal, family, or household” purposes, which usually leaves commercial truck purchases outside its scope.6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Chapter 1345 – Consumer Sales Practices
Other avenues remain. The federal odometer-fraud statute applies regardless of “as is” disclaimers, and common-law fraud claims can carry punitive damages. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, an “as is” clause can be challenged if it wasn’t written, conspicuous, and provided before the sale, or if the seller made oral misrepresentations. And as the Curleys Transport ruling shows, a forum-selection clause buried in the paperwork can decide where you’re allowed to sue. Read the contract before you sign it.