DOJ Indicts Four Former Illinois Mine Managers Over 2021 Fire Cover-Up

Federal prosecutors have indicted four former managers of an Illinois coal mine for allegedly concealing a fire and attempting to interfere with a Mine Safety and Health Administration investigation. An Aug. 6 announcement from the Department of Justice states that Cory Humphrey, Ronald Koontz, Demitrios Macropoulos and Randy Nowland have been charged with multiple crimes, including conspiring to defraud MSHA after an August 2021 fire at the MC#1 Mine in Franklin County, IL.

Alleged Actions During the Fire

DOJ alleges in the indictment that miners ignited an underground fire while using cutting torches to remove collapsed steel beams in the mine. They were unable to extinguish the fire after 10 minutes, which should have resulted in a mine evacuation and notifying MSHA of the event. Instead, according to DOJ, the defendants are alleged to have directed coal mining to continue during ad hoc firefighting efforts through the morning of Aug. 14. An anonymous tip alerted MSHA to the fire, prompting federal officials to issue an evacuation order.

Alleged Interference With Investigation

Prosecutors allege two instances in which the defendants reentered the mine to assess the fire and manipulate the conditions underground to fool underground gas detectors so that MSHA would allow mining to resume. Brandon Parsons, another conspirator and former mine manager, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud MSHA in August 2025 for his involvement in helping to conceal the fire.

Official Statements and Legal Status

Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Energy and Natural Resources Division at DOJ, said in the announcement that a strong, productive coal industry depends on miners who feel safe and trust that their leaders are not putting them at unnecessary risk. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Steven D. Weinhoeft stated that when people in positions of authority conceal deadly conditions and then cover up their actions, they put lives at risk and prevent federal authorities from doing the job the law requires them to do.

DOJ says in the announcement that an indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The charges are detailed in reporting from Safety+Health Magazine.