Criminal Press Releases - 2019
This is a list of press releases announcing results of EPA criminal cases adjudicated in U.S. courts. The tables are sortable and can be viewed by date or alphabetically under all other headings.
| Month/Day | Defendant | State | Violation | Related Media | Case Status | Press Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/20 | Andrew K. Ecklund | OH | Falsifying lab results | TSCA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/18 | Seattle Barrel and Cooperage Co. Louie Sanft John Sanft |
WA | Illegally dumping caustic waste into the King County, WA sewer system | CWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/16 | Sea Harvest Inc Fishing Vessel Enterprises Inc |
NE | Knowing and negligent discharges of oily bilge waste | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/6 | Lawrence D. Rutledge | IL | Illegal storage of hazardous waste | TSCA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/2 | Arthur Wolfe | KS | Falsifying a water quality report | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/25 | John Lee | GA | Perjury, Obstruction of Justice - Related to Hyundai Clean Air Act violations | CAA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/21 | Monsanto | HI | Illegal use of a banned pesticide | RCRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/20 | Martin Fields | CO | Conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit money laundering, making false claims against the United States, and money laundering - Related to creating a fake renewable fuels company | CAA | Trial | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/19 | Collegiate Entrepreneurs, Inc. | CT | Falsifying Records, TSCA Violations - Related to lead based paint work | TSCA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/18 | MGP Products, Inc. | KS | Clean Air Act violation - Related to chlorine gas cloud formation/release affecting citizens and first responders | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/6 | Electro-Plating Services Inc (EPS) | MI | Illegal storage of hazardous wastes resulting in a $1.5M Superfund cleanup cost | RCRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/22 | Chandra Yarlagadda (Alpha Bioenergy LLC) | MI | Filing a false income tax return - overstated expenses associated with the purchase of renewable energy credits (RINs Fraud) | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/10 | Marlene Faltemier | CA | Illegal/Improper storage of Hazardous - related to explosion in Santa Paula, California | TSCA | Sentencing | County DA Press Release |
| 10/3 | Michael Greene | SC | Illegally dumping hazardous waste into Leesburg Branch Creek on multiple ocassions | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/3 | Max Hurst | MT | Clean Air Act Negligent Endangerment - related to explosion in Wibaux, Montana | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/2 | Gary Hallinan | NY | Clean Water Act Violation - Negligently discharging wastewater from the City of Oswego Wastewater Treatment Plant into Lake Ontario | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/30 | Vikas Jain | PA | Knowingly violating workplace standards of the Clean Air Act | CAA | Information | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/27 | Peter Margiotta (Custom Carbon Processing, Inc.) | MT | Clean Air Act Violations - related to explosion at oil processing plant in Wibaux, MT | CAA | Trial | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/26 | Crete Core Incredients LLC | NE | Clean Water Act Violations - related to wastewater discharge permit violations | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/24 | Emanuele Palma (Fiat) | MI | Title 18, Clean Air Act Violations - related to making false and misleading statements about the emissions control software used in more than 100,000 FCA diesel vehicles | Title 18, CAA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/23 | Bobby Babak Khalili |
NV | Failing to remediate and remove asbestos before renovating an apartment complex | CAA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/18 | Anthony Gray | OH | Conspiracy to Defraud the United States - rellated to improperly operating an incinerator | Title 18 | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/16 | Arthur Wolfe | KS | Making a false statement to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment | Title 18 | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/12 | Lloyd Robl | WI | Wire Fraud and Clean Air Act Violation - related to falsifying asbestos abatement qualifications and illegal and improper asbestos removal | Title 18, CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/12 | Jaron Coleman | GA | Unauthorized Discharge of Oil in the Waters of the United States - discharging 3000 gallons of diesel fuel into a creek leading to the Ochlockonee River | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/6 | Kenneth Morrison | IN | Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property - related to stealing Monon Bridge | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/28 | C&J Well Services Nabors Completion and Production Services |
ND | Willful violation of the standard requiring tank cleaning before welding (resulting in explosion and the death of worker Dustin Payne) | OSHA violation | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/26 | Ionian Shipping and Trading Corp, Lily Shipping Ltd, Stamatios Alekidis, Athanasios Pittas, Rey Espulgar | USVI | Pollution, recordkeeping and obstruction of justice crimes - related to operation of the Motor Tanker Ocean Princess | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/23 | Santa Clara Waste Water Company Green Compass Environmental Solutions |
CA | Illegal and improper storage and treatment of hazardous waste and chemicals resulting in an explosion and injury to employees and first responders | TSCA | Sentencing | VC DA Press Release |
| 8/21 | Brian Mellott | PA | Disabling emissions control devices in commercial motor vehicles | CAA FMSCA |
Plea Agreement | DOT Press Release |
| 8/16 | Andrew Manganas | PA | Theft, fraud and discharge of pollutants into the Susquehanna River | Title 18 CWA |
Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/16 | Tower & Son Exterminating Corp Wilson Javier Torres-Rivera |
PR | Knowingly applying a restricted-use pesticide not in accordance with labeling at multiple locations | FIFRA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/14 | Aleks Rakaj | CT | Illegal and improper asbestos removal | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/5 | Timothy Peer | WV | Discharging untreated sewage from sewage treatment plant in violation of permits | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/5 | Robert La Rue Webb | OR | Negligently discharging harmful quantities of oil into a water of the U.S. | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 7/30 | Thomas S. Fritzel | KS | Illegal and improper asbestos removal and disposal | CAA | Trial | DOJ Press Release |
| 7/24 | Forrest Sewer Pump Service, Inc | VA | Illegally discharging pollutants into unauthorized manholes and pump stations | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 7/11 | American Biodiesel, Inc. | CA | Unpermitted discharge of industrial wastewater into city sewer system; tampering with monitoring devices | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 7/9 | Tracey Jordan Sellers | FL | Making a false statement - related to conflict of interest for employment in conflict with official duty | Title 18 | Plea Agreement | Not Yet Available Online |
| 6/25 | Carlos Conde | GA | Washing carburetor fluid into a tributary of the Chattahoochee River, resulting in a wildlife kill | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/20 | Mohammad Sikder | DC | Failure to follow lead-safe work practices and lead disclosure requirements - related to a property renovation | TSCA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/11 | Wiley Sanders Truck Lines, Inc. | CA | Illegally transporting over 64 tons of hazardous, lead-contaminated plastic battery chips | TSCA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/11 | Bonefish Holdings, LLC | FL | Illegally filling federally regulated wetlands | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/10 | Hector M. Garza Tammy L. Garza HTG Trucking, LLC Freedom Fuel, Inc. |
WA | Fraud and false statements related to the Gen-X renewable energy fraud scheme | Title 18 | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/6 | Green Compass Environmental Solutions, LLC | CA | Illegal/improper storage of hazardous chemicals leading to explosion | TSCA | Plea Agreement | DA Press Release |
| 5/23 | Gary Hallinan | NY | Negligently discharging wastewater from the City of Oswego wastewater treatment plant into Lake Ontario | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/23 | Brannon Finney | AK | Unlawful discharge of a pollutant - dumping 8 tons of sandbag waste overboard into Sumner Strait | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/23 | Aleks Rakaj | CT | Illegal asbestos removal | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/22 | IAV GmbH | MI | Conspiracy to defraud the United States re Volkswagen emissions defeat devices | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/3 | Avin International LTD Nicos I.V. Special Maritime Enterprises |
TX | Illegally discharging oil into Texas port waters | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/1 | David M. Dunham Jr. | PA | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, filing false tax documents, obstruction of justice (RINs fraud) | Title 18 | Trial | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/24 | Ben T. Wooton Race A. Miner Keystone Biofuels |
PA | Tax and False Statements conspiracy related to RINs fraud | Title 18 | Trial | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/23 | Craig Lorch Jeff Zirkle (Total Reclaim) |
WA | Wire Fraud related to unsafe electronic waste recycling | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/18 | Terry L. Zintel | MO | Tax Fraud related to renewable energy claims (RINs fraud) | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/12 | Brian Brundage | IL | Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion - related to illegally landfilling potentially hazardous electronic waste | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/11 | Diamond (3 Companies) Arie Eric De Jong III Warren Van Dam Jorge Leyva Rodriguez |
CA | Conspiring to manipulate the electronic control module on Diamond's fleet of heavy diesel trucks | Title 18, CAA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/3 | Timothy Peer | WV | Discharging untreated sewage into the North Branch of the Potomac River | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/1 | Rezart Rakaj | CT | Illegal asbestos removal | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/22 | Luminaire Environmental Technologies John D. Miller Joseph Miller |
MN | Fraud Scheme related to improper disposal of toxic waste | TSCA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/6 | Midwest Grain Products, Inc. Harcos Chemicals, Inc. |
KS | Sulfuric acid and sodium hypochlorite release causing hospitalization/treatment of over 140 people | TSCA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/25 | James Phillip Lucero | CA | Illegal discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States and Unpermitted Filling of Wetlands and Tributaries - related to dumping 1800 truckloads of construction debris and fill material on private property containing federally protected wetlands | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/14 | Gary Alfred Sayers Electro-Plating Services Inc. |
MI | Illegally storing hazardous waste | RCRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/13 | Steven Weaver | IA | Illegal and improper asbestos removal | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/7 | Fuel Bio One LLC | NJ | Discharging 45,000 gallons of wastewater from commercial biodiesel fuel production facility into the Arthur Kill Waterway | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/1 | Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority | PA | Safe Drinking Water Act Violations- related to failing to notify residents and failure to conduct testing when lead water lines were replaced | CWA | Indictment | PA AG Press Release |
| 1/30 | Ahmed El-Sherif | KS | Illegally storing hazardous waste | RCRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/29 | Mark Harris | OH | Knowingly failing to remove asbestos | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/28 |
Richard Bauder |
MI | Conspiracy to defraud U.S. regulators and customers - related to development and use of software designed to cheat emissions tests | CAA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/28 | Jose Rivera (Terminix) | VI | Illegally applying fumigants containing methyl bromide in multiple residential locations | FIFRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/24 | Tier Environmental LLC | OH | Recklessly violating a hazardous waste permit | State/Local | Sentencing | OH AG Press Release |
| 1/22 | Amin M. Salem Mohamed Salem Zaharan al-Qadan |
OH | Illegally discharging waste from an animal slaughtering operation into a local stream; EBT card fraud, illegal weapons posession, illegal slaughter and sale of meats |
CWA |
Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/16 | Mike Blankenship | WV | Clean Water Act Violations - dumping untreated sewage into Little Huff Creek | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |