LOUISA, KY / FRANKLIN COUNTY, IL — A former manager of a coal mine in Illinois has admitted guilt in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by hiding a perilous underground fire that took place in August 2021 at the MC#1 Mine located in Franklin County.
Timothy Brandon Parsons, 38, from Louisa, Kentucky, entered his guilty plea on Thursday in a federal court. Prosecutors allege that Parsons, who was serving as the Mine Manager during the incident, deliberately failed to report the fire, kept miners in dangerous conditions underground, and subsequently tried to hide the fire from federal officials.
A Concealed Underground Blaze, Deception & Concealment
Court documents indicate that on August 12, 2021, a fire ignited underground after a cutting torch was employed to remove collapsed steel beams. The flames could not be extinguished within 10 minutes — a critical threshold that, according to federal safety regulations, should have prompted an immediate evacuation and notification to MSHA.
Instead, Parsons and others colluded to disregard emergency protocols, allowing coal mining to persist through three shifts from August 12 to 13. Even as gas detectors carried by miners triggered alarms for dangerous carbon monoxide levels surpassing 10 parts per million, the mine continued operations.
On August 13, Parsons ordered an evacuation — not due to the fire, but under the false pretense that a coal conveyor belt had malfunctioned. On the same day, MSHA received an anonymous tip regarding the fire. Inspectors arrived at the mine and, after confirming the blaze, mandated a complete evacuation.
However, court records reveal that Parsons and other conspirators illegally re-entered the mine on two occasions without MSHA’s knowledge or consent. They allegedly manipulated underground conditions to create the illusion of safety in hopes of obtaining permission to resume mining activities.
The group also failed to wear required tracking devices and falsified mine records in an effort to conceal their actions.
Legal Consequences
Parsons is scheduled for sentencing on December 18. He faces:
- Up to 5 years in federal prison
- 3 years of supervised release
- A fine of up to $250,000
A federal judge will determine the final sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The safety of American miners must never be compromised,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois added, “Covering up life-threatening hazards in a coal mine endangers lives and undermines the integrity of federal safety regulations.”
