Heavy D Was Sent to Prison for a Very Unpredictable Reason
The star of 'Diesel Brothers' time and time again displayer behavior that complicated his case.
Updated Oct. 16 2025, 10:13 a.m. ET
When people tuned in to Diesel Brothers, they wanted to see a charismatic group turning old pickup trucks into wonderful vehicles.
Gathering an immense number of cars comes at a heavy price. David Sparks, also known as Heavy D, was one of the hosts of the Discovery Channel hit. What the television star did behind the scenes is more complicated than what was seen on the screen.
Why did Heavy D go to prison? Here's what we know about the charges brought against the host of Diesel Brothers. It all comes down to protecting the one planet that humans call home.
Why did Heavy D go to jail?
A report released by Entertainment Weekly states that Heavy D was found in contempt in October 2025. This led to the release of an arrest warrant for the Discovery Channel star. The facility that hosted Heavy D was located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The main issue found with Heavy was that he violated court orders established in a lawsuit that accused him of transgressions against the Clean Air Act.
The lawsuit claimed that Heavy D's business involved changing the exhaust systems in some of the vehicles in order to produce black smoke. The consequences of doing that would be terrible for the environment, which is why the proponents of the Clean Air Act had to step in.
Cole Cannon, Heavy D's attorney, stated that "no crime was charged or alleged. This arrest should never have occurred in the first place and it has been a grave injustice to the Sparks family." Heavy D was released from custody shortly after being taken in.
The other 'Diesel Brothers' members are mentioned in the lawsuit.
Heavy D's arrest comes after a successful run on television. Diesel Brothers got the opportunity to launch seven seasons on the Discovery Channel, with fans tuning in time and time again to see what the brothers came up with.
The other members of the Diesel Brothers team are also involved in the lawsuit that sent Heavy D to jail. Entertainment Weekly reports that the lawsuit also mentions Keaton Hoskins and Joshua Stuart as people who broke the rules of the Clean Air Act.
A well-prepared reality television star is always going to fight back. Heavy D used his YouTube and Instagram accounts to produce videos where he spoke his mind about the lawsuit and his arrest.
The footage delivers the Diesel Brothers host's version of the story. In the video, David calls out the people who came after him, saying that they "stole his freedom and tarnished his good name" (via YouTube).