# Dave 'Heavy D' Sparks
**Dave "Heavy D" Sparks** (David Sparks, born 1985) is an American entrepreneur, custom vehicle builder, and social media personality from [Salt Lake City](https://www.edgepedia.org/salt-lake-city), Utah, best known as the frontman of the [Discovery Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/discovery-channel) reality series *Diesel Brothers* and as co-founder of the truck business DieselSellerz.[1](https://www.discovery.com/profiles/heavy-d) Since 2016 he has also been the lead defendant in a private Clean Air Act lawsuit over diesel emissions tampering that produced civil penalties, a permanent injunction, multiple contempt findings, and his arrest and brief jailing in October 2025.[2](https://legalclarity.org/what-happened-to-diesel-brothers-lawsuit-fines-and-arrest/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and nickname | David Sparks, known as "Heavy D"; born 1985 in Utah[3](https://creatorspin.com/creator/heavydsparks/about) |
| Signature show | *Diesel Brothers*, premiered on Discovery Channel January 4, 2016; averaged over two million viewers per episode in its first season[3](https://creatorspin.com/creator/heavydsparks/about) • [4](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043/pdf/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043-0.pdf) |
| Businesses | Co-founder of DieselSellerz and Diesel Power Gear; principal of B&W Auto (Sparks Motors)[2](https://legalclarity.org/what-happened-to-diesel-brothers-lawsuit-fines-and-arrest/) • [5](https://uphe.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2017-1-10-Diesel-Brothers-final-complaint.pdf) |
| Clean Air Act case | Sued from 2016 by Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment; hundreds of proven violations, more than $850,000 in civil penalties, a permanent injunction, and nearly $1 million in legal fees[2](https://legalclarity.org/what-happened-to-diesel-brothers-lawsuit-fines-and-arrest/) |
| 2025 arrest | Arrest order filed October 2, 2025 for willfully ignoring orders to pay $843,602.23; jailed about three days and released after a hearing[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/david-sparks-arrest-diesel-brothers-b2843363.html) • [7](https://www.thedrive.com/news/diesel-brothers-influencer-heavy-d-is-out-of-jail-and-eager-to-share-his-story) |
| Settlement status | As of early 2026, legal-fee debt paid in full under a settlement; roughly $200,000 in civil penalties remained outstanding[8](https://legalclarity.org/diesel-brothers-lawsuit-fines-contempt-and-arrest/) |
| Later ventures | Co-founded EMBR Motors, which acquired the Nikola Badger hydrogen-electric pickup project in February 2024[3](https://creatorspin.com/creator/heavydsparks/about) |
## Early life and start in business
Raised in Utah, Sparks developed a childhood obsession with anything powered by an engine or fitted with wheels, ranging from his first motorcycle, a 1976 Yamaha YZ80, up to the Mega Ram Runner, the best-known of his early builds.[1](https://www.discovery.com/profiles/heavy-d) He spent most of his high school time on auto mechanics, welding, and fabrication, then managed an ATV and motorcycle rental business for his friend and mentor Rich Eggett.[1](https://www.discovery.com/profiles/heavy-d) At age 21 he enrolled at [Weber State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/weber-state-university) but left after one semester, deciding he could learn better through real-world work.[1](https://www.discovery.com/profiles/heavy-d)
**From excavation to diesel trucks.** He began operating heavy equipment for his uncle's construction business, which turned into his own small excavation company building rock walls, waterfalls, and landscaping.[1](https://www.discovery.com/profiles/heavy-d) In 2008 he hired his first employee, his best friend David "Diesel Dave" Kiley.[1](https://www.discovery.com/profiles/heavy-d) After marrying in 2010, he picked up his dealer's license, opened a small used car lot, and started building DieselSellerz.com, an online truck-classifieds business.[1](https://www.discovery.com/profiles/heavy-d) The UPHE complaint later described him as a custom vehicle builder, licensed auto dealer, and social media and television personality, doing business at the Dieselsellerz complex in Woods Cross, Utah through companies including B&W Auto LLC and Diesel Power Gear LLC.[5](https://uphe.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2017-1-10-Diesel-Brothers-final-complaint.pdf)
## Diesel Brothers
The path to television ran through online video. Sparks and Kiley promoted the business with a truck giveaway that drove traffic to DieselSellerz.com, and posted prank and stunt videos on Facebook and YouTube; one prank, which routed truck exhaust into a bathroom, caught the attention of [Jay Leno](https://www.edgepedia.org/jay-leno), who put the pair on his show, and Discovery followed.[9](https://sparksmotorsofficial.com/blogs/news/diesel-dave-who-is-he) • [10](https://www.motortrend.com/features/celebrity-drive-dave-heavy-d-sparks-of-discovery-diesel-brothers) The team initially put off Discovery's offer for six months because they suspected a scam, then filmed a pilot.[9](https://sparksmotorsofficial.com/blogs/news/diesel-dave-who-is-he)
*Diesel Brothers* premiered on January 4, 2016, following Sparks, Kiley, Joshua "Redbeard" Stuart, and Keaton Hoskins as they bought, modified, and gave away diesel trucks.[3](https://creatorspin.com/creator/heavydsparks/about) • [4](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043/pdf/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043-0.pdf) The show featured diesel trucks custom built for off-road recreational use and averaged over two million viewers per episode in its first season.[4](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043/pdf/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043-0.pdf) It ran for eight seasons; after it ended, Sparks and Kiley shifted back toward their own YouTube and Sparks Motors content.[11](https://trendsmask.com/what-happened-to-diesel-brothers-521582.html) His HeavyDSparks YouTube channel has since reached about 4.6 million subscribers.[12](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/dave-sparks.html)
## The Clean Air Act lawsuit
**A private citizen suit.** In July 2016, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE), a nonprofit organization of Utah healthcare professionals and concerned citizens, gave written notice of its intent to sue Sparks, Stuart, and their companies under the citizen-suit provision of the Clean Air Act, alleging repeated and ongoing violations including the removal and circumvention of emission-control systems.[4](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043/pdf/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043-0.pdf) Sparks has emphasized that the case was brought by a private group rather than the government, saying "we were never sued by the EPA."[13](https://www.motortrend.com/news/heavy-d-dave-sparks-dishes-on-the-2022-nikola-badger)
The evidence against the businesses included independent testing: a modified truck purchased from Sparks Motors produced 36 times the pollutants and 21 times the particulate matter of a stock vehicle.[3](https://creatorspin.com/creator/heavydsparks/about) In June 2018 a judge issued an injunction prohibiting similar modifications, and in March 2020 Sparks and two other cast members faced additional penalties tied to the violations.[3](https://creatorspin.com/creator/heavydsparks/about) Court filings from the penalty phase show the scale of the businesses involved: in 2018 Diesel Power Gear reported $12,576,067 in revenue, and Sparks reported an average annual income of over $300,000 for the previous three years.[14](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-utd-2_17-cv-00032/pdf/USCOURTS-utd-2_17-cv-00032-1.pdf)
In the end, the lawsuit established Clean Air Act violations numbering in the hundreds, brought civil penalties exceeding $850,000, imposed a permanent injunction, and left Sparks owing close to $1 million in attorney fees.[8](https://legalclarity.org/diesel-brothers-lawsuit-fines-contempt-and-arrest/) Kiley and DieselSellerz.com were dismissed in district court, and Hoskins settled with UPHE and the United States.[4](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043/pdf/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043-0.pdf)
## Contempt, arrest, and settlement
**The 2025 arrest.** Sparks spent years resisting the fee judgments. A court order filed October 2, 2025 commanded his arrest and incarceration for "repeatedly and willfully" ignoring court orders to pay $843,602.23 owed to UPHE.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/david-sparks-arrest-diesel-brothers-b2843363.html) He was taken to jail and held for three days before a hearing at which a judge ordered his immediate release; he then posted videos on Instagram and YouTube giving his side of the story.[7](https://www.thedrive.com/news/diesel-brothers-influencer-heavy-d-is-out-of-jail-and-eager-to-share-his-story) • [15](https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/09/diesel-brothers-dave-sparks-released-from-custody/) He was released on an agreement to provide additional information to the plaintiff.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/david-sparks-arrest-diesel-brothers-b2843363.html)
By the start of 2026, a settlement had been agreed to, with Sparks and the businesses he owns satisfying the entire amount owed in legal fees, while about $200,000 in civil penalties was still unpaid.[8](https://legalclarity.org/diesel-brothers-lawsuit-fines-contempt-and-arrest/)
## Other ventures
**Nikola and EMBR Motors.** Sparks befriended [Trevor Milton](https://www.edgepedia.org/trevor-milton), later the founder and CEO of Nikola, on a [Lake Powell](https://www.edgepedia.org/lake-powell) trip about 12 years before 2020, and in 2020 he discussed the 2022 Nikola Badger, a hydrogen fuel-cell pickup, on the Truck Show Podcast.[13](https://www.motortrend.com/news/heavy-d-dave-sparks-dishes-on-the-2022-nikola-badger) In February 2024 he co-founded EMBR Motors, a sustainable car builder that acquired the Nikola Badger hydrogen-electric pickup truck project.[3](https://creatorspin.com/creator/heavydsparks/about) That same association brought litigation: Nikola sued Sparks over his connection to Milton, who had been convicted of fraud-related charges and had nominated Sparks for a board position; the legal actions against Sparks and other board nominees were eventually dismissed, with claims found not liable.[3](https://creatorspin.com/creator/heavydsparks/about) • [16](https://thebiography.org/what-happened-between-diesel-brothers-heavy-d-sparks-and-nikola/)
His post-television work has stayed commercial and automotive. He has been a partner of trailer manufacturer RawMaxx and appeared at the 2025 NATDA show in Nashville launching the company's 3D Configurator tool.[17](https://mags.manufacturinginfocus.com/mag/MIFApr2026/flipbook.pdf) Beyond vehicles, he is known for search-and-rescue efforts, including using his helicopter during [Hurricane Harvey](https://www.edgepedia.org/hurricane-harvey) and in searches for missing people such as Dylan Rounds and Susan Powell.[18](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fab0a3a3-6dd1-4f6d-a523-9bb744dae3c1/episodes/36846250-a9d4-4ed9-a3e6-0b5bd014088b/pplpod-the-highs-and-lows-of-dave-heavy-d-sparks-diesel-brothers-fame-mega-trucks-and-his-2025-arrest)
## Personal life
Sparks met his wife, Ashley, at church in 2009 and married her a year later; the couple has three children.[1](https://www.discovery.com/profiles/heavy-d) • [19](https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1544380-dave-sparks-bio-age-height-net-worth-wife-diesel-brothers/) In March 2026, five months after his arrest, Ashley Sparks filed for divorce in Utah court.[20](https://www.tmz.com/2026/03/11/david-sparks-wife-files-divorce/) A frequent point of confusion, Kiley is not his brother; the two are close friends and business partners who call themselves brothers as part of the [Diesel Brothers](https://www.edgepedia.org/diesel-brothers) crew.[19](https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1544380-dave-sparks-bio-age-height-net-worth-wife-diesel-brothers/)
## References
1. [Get to know Heavy D of Diesel Brothers, Discovery](https://www.discovery.com/profiles/heavy-d)
2. [What Happened to Diesel Brothers? Lawsuit, Fines, and Arrest, LegalClarity](https://legalclarity.org/what-happened-to-diesel-brothers-lawsuit-fines-and-arrest/)
3. [HeavyDSparks, CreatorSpin Biography](https://creatorspin.com/creator/heavydsparks/about)
4. [Appellate Case 20-4043, Tenth Circuit (UPHE v. Sparks), govinfo](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043/pdf/USCOURTS-ca10-20-04043-0.pdf)
5. [Diesel Brothers final complaint, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment](https://uphe.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2017-1-10-Diesel-Brothers-final-complaint.pdf)
6. [Diesel Brothers star David Sparks arrested after failing to pay nearly $850,000 in fines, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/david-sparks-arrest-diesel-brothers-b2843363.html)
7. [Diesel Brothers Influencer 'Heavy D' Is Out of Jail and Eager To Share His Story, The Drive](https://www.thedrive.com/news/diesel-brothers-influencer-heavy-d-is-out-of-jail-and-eager-to-share-his-story)
8. [Diesel Brothers Lawsuit: Fines, Contempt, and Arrest, LegalClarity](https://legalclarity.org/diesel-brothers-lawsuit-fines-contempt-and-arrest/)
9. [Diesel Dave: Who is he?, SparksMotors](https://sparksmotorsofficial.com/blogs/news/diesel-dave-who-is-he)
10. [Celebrity Drive: Dave "Heavy D" Sparks of Discovery's 'Diesel Brothers', MotorTrend](https://www.motortrend.com/features/celebrity-drive-dave-heavy-d-sparks-of-discovery-diesel-brothers)
11. [What happened to Diesel Brothers, Trendsmask](https://trendsmask.com/what-happened-to-diesel-brothers-521582.html)
12. [Dave Sparks, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/dave-sparks.html)
13. ["Heavy D" Dave Sparks Dishes on the 2022 Nikola Badger, MotorTrend](https://www.motortrend.com/news/heavy-d-dave-sparks-dishes-on-the-2022-nikola-badger)
14. [Findings of fact, UPHE v. Sparks et al., Case 2:17-cv-00032, govinfo](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-utd-2_17-cv-00032/pdf/USCOURTS-utd-2_17-cv-00032-1.pdf)
15. [Diesel Brothers Partner David Sparks Released From Custody, TMZ](https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/09/diesel-brothers-dave-sparks-released-from-custody/)
16. [What happened between Diesel Brothers' Heavy D Sparks and Nikola?, The Biography](https://thebiography.org/what-happened-between-diesel-brothers-heavy-d-sparks-and-nikola/)
17. [Manufacturing in Focus, April 2026 (RawMaxx partnership)](https://mags.manufacturinginfocus.com/mag/MIFApr2026/flipbook.pdf)
18. [The Highs and Lows of Dave "Heavy D" Sparks, pplpod (Amazon Music)](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fab0a3a3-6dd1-4f6d-a523-9bb744dae3c1/episodes/36846250-a9d4-4ed9-a3e6-0b5bd014088b/pplpod-the-highs-and-lows-of-dave-heavy-d-sparks-diesel-brothers-fame-mega-trucks-and-his-2025-arrest)
19. [Dave Sparks' bio: Exploring the life, relationships and net worth of Heavy D, Legit.ng](https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1544380-dave-sparks-bio-age-height-net-worth-wife-diesel-brothers/)
20. ['Diesel Brothers' Star David Sparks' Wife Files For Divorce, TMZ](https://www.tmz.com/2026/03/11/david-sparks-wife-files-divorce/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Reality television personalities and media celebrities › Docuseries and ensemble cast members › Occupational docuseries cast*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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