Douglas Vincent Mertz was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood. Mertz pleaded guilty to the charge on Nov. 9, 2011. In addition to the fine, Mertz was sentenced to one year probation and restitution up to $750.

In August and September of 2009, Mertz advertised the sale of R-22 on Craigslist with postings such as, “If you cannot get R-22 on your own, no EPA card or license, we can do business,” and, “I have virgin 30 lb jugs of R-22 that I will sell to anyone who can’t otherwise get one for EPA or license reasons and the distributors deny you.” Mertz, who himself was EPA certified, then obtained 10 containers of R-22 refrigerant and sold them to a buyer who was neither certified nor otherwise legally allowed to purchase R-22. The buyer was in fact an undercover federal agent. To conceal the illegal sale, Mertz prepared a document that falsely identified the buyer as an employee of his business.