Crown Central Petroleum had apparently been informed by the FBI in November of 1999 that the FBI had dropped its investigation. Crown also offered a monetary reward for information leading to a conviction. PACE vehemently denied that its members ever attempted to sabotage the plant and claimed that Crown contrived the charges to justify its brutal lockout. Crown filed a civil lawsuit against PACE and its members, two years after the lockout took place.
PACE charges that the sole purpose of the lawsuit was to keep the false charges alive.
A few days after the lockout, Crown invited the same workers, it accused of sabotage, to return to work provided that PACE would agree to all of Crown's contract demands.