Judge won’t drop ex-Pilot Flying J head’s house arrest

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A former president of the largest U.S. fuel retailer will remain on house arrest while appealing his fraud conviction, but he can sell his boat and private plane.

U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier made the decisions this week in former Pilot Flying J President Mark Hazelwood’s case. Hazelwood wanted home confinement and monitoring requirements dropped or reduced.

Hazelwood was convicted in February of cheating trucking companies out of millions of dollars. The 59-year-old was set to start a 12 1/2-year prison sentence this month.

An appeals court granted his request to stay out of prison pending appeal after Hazelwood’s lawyers said his taped racist remarks prejudiced jurors against their client.

Pilot Flying J is controlled by the family of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. The Haslams haven’t been charged with wrongdoing.