Criminal Press Releases - 2021
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/23 | Seattle Barrel and Cooperage Company Louie Sanft |
WA | Clean Water Act Violations Conspiracy Making false Statements |
CWA Title 18 |
Trial | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/21 | David Klepadlo | PA | Failing to properly operate and maintain the Lackawanna Wastewater Treatment Plant | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/20 | Marmon Utility LLC | CT | Failing to properly operate and maintain a wastewater treatment facility | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/20 | Bruce Evans Sr. Bruce Evans Jr. |
PA | Clean Water Act Violations; Wire Fraud; Obstruction of Correspondence | CWA Title 18 |
Trial | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/15 | Beta Operating Co LLC; Amplify Energy Corp; San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co | CA | Negligent Conduct During Offshore Oil Leak | CWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/10 | US Minerals Inc | MT | Negligent Endangerment - Related to exposing employees to elevated levels of arsenic | OSHA Violation | Sentencing | DOJ Press Releases |
| 12/9 | Monsanto | HI | Allowing workers to enter fields during restricted period after applying pesticide (30 counts); Illegal Hazardous Waste Storage | RCRA FIFRA |
Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/6 | Summit Midstream Partners LLC | ND | Negligently discharging more than 29 million gallons of oil-contaminated water for more than 4 months and then knowingly failing to report the discharge. | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/3 | James Withrow Bruce Jackson (aka Bruce Baker) |
AK | Dumping/abandoning 55-gallon drums onto property of the U.S. Forest Service causing contamination; making false statements |
RCRA Title 18 |
Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/1 | Kristofer Landell Stephanie Laskin |
NY | Conspiracy; Illegal/improper asbestos removal | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/30 | Kwong Yau Lam | GU | Distribution and sale of an unregistered pesticide | FIFRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/26 | DiAne Gordon | TN | Fabricating discharge monitoring reports | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/21 | Wyatt Travnichek | KS | Tampering with a public (drinking) water computer system; reckless damage | SDWA Title 18 |
Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/15 | Charles L. Stinson, Logsdon Valley Oil Inc a.k.a. Hart Petroleum | KY | Illegal injection of contaminated fluids into unpermitted sinkhole | SDWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/14 | Stephan Reisinger | ND | OSHA Violation relating in fatal injury | OSHA | Sentencing | DOT Press Release |
| 10/7 | Signal Peak Energy, LLC | MT | Willfully violating environmental and worker and safety standards | Title 18 | Information | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/7 | James Love | OK | CAA Violation - related to monitoring device tampering | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/6 | Eric Jay Weckwerth-Pineda Tanner John Sik |
MN | Oil Spill into the Yellow Medicine River | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/20 | Christopher M. Cox | WA | Smuggling (Vehicles that failed to meet federal safety and pollution standards) | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/23 | U.S. Minerals, Inc. | MT | Exposing employees to elevated levels of Arsenic | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/12 | Jeffrey Scott Wood | MT | Unlawful use of a registered pesticide | TSCA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/11 | Jeffrey Delucio | IN | Illegal/Improper Lead-based Paint removal, child and worker exposure, falsifying records | TSCA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/10 | Mark Lee Morgan | CA | Pesticide Smuggling | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/6 | Chandra Yarlagadda | MI | Biofuels Fraud | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/6 | Ricky Lynch | NY | TSCA Violation - placing a child at risk (Lead Exposure) | TSCA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/5 | Summit Midstream Partners LLC | ND | Illegally discharging 29 million gallons of contaminated water into tributaries of the Missouri River | CWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 7/13 | Peter Margiotta | MT | Clean Air Act, Knowing Endangerment - related to explosion at oil processing plant | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 7/12 | Nebraska Railcar Cleaning Services LLC Adam Braithwaite |
NE | RCRA and OSHA violations - resulting in worker deaths | RCRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 7/9 | Multiple (50) | CA | Chemical Smuggling | Border Pesticide Initiative | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 7/2 |
Richard Parker |
AL | Introducing misbranded animal drugs into interstate commerce; Production and packaging of misbranded drugs and pesticides | FIFRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/21 | Sezgin Baran Korkmaz | UT | Renewable Fuels Fraud | CAA Title 18 |
Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/14 | James Paprocki | PA | Conspiring to Violate the Clean Water Act | CWA | Information | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/8 | Felix Gutierrez Valencia | CA | Smuggling pesticides into the U.S. | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/8 | Kristofer Landell, Madeline Alonge | NY | Illegal/Improper Asbestos Removal | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/4 | Angel Elliot Dalfin, Paul Richard Heil | NY | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to make false statements - related to illegal lead based paint removal | Title 18 | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/3 | Lunar Loussia Nadia Malloian WellgreensCA Inc |
CA | Illegal dumping and Illegal transportation of hazardous waste |
HMTA Title 18 |
Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/27 | Selene Barraza | CA | Smuggling illegal pesticides into the U.S. | FIFRA | Trial | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/25 | Samir Haj, EcoShield LLC | CA | Illegal sale, import and mailing of an unregistered pesticide (Covid-related fraud) | Title 18 | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/23 | Marc A. Victoriano | LA | Falsifying asbestos reports; theft of federal program funds | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/20 | Brandon Weber | NE | Unlawful sale of an unregistered pesticide | FIFRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/20 | Loren Kim Jacobson | ID | Making an illegal repair to a cargo tanker - related to explosion resulting in worker injury; making false statements | HMTA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/14 | Robert J. Massey (Oil Chem Inc) | MI | Discharging industrial wastewater into Flint sewer system | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/13 | Sean Coiteux, Tracy Coiteux, Nick Akerill, Racing Performance Maintenance Northwest, RPM Motors and Sales NW |
WA | Tampering with emissions monitoring systems | CAA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/28 | Julie Lin | MA | Distribution and Sale of an Unregistered Pesticide (Covid-related) | FIFRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/28 | Flores Banuelos | CA | Pesticides Smuggling | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/26 | Christopher Hall | WV | False reporting - related to management of Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) facility | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/22 | Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, LLC | LA | Clean Water Act violation - related to oil spill | CWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/21 | Rockwater Northeast LLC | PA | Emissions systems tampering | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/20 | Sergio Pasini Gianluca Sabbioni (Fiat Chrysler Italy) |
MI | Conspiracy to Cheat U.S. Emissions Tests and Defraud U.S. Consumers | Title 18 CAA |
Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/15 | Tim Miller Klean Waters Inc |
CA | Discharging untreated industrial waste into an Orange County Sewer System | CAA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/8 | Dakota Brennan Gray | OK | Negligently discharging oil into a water of the United States | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/2 | Jay Earnest Niday | IA | Conspiring to cheat environmental testing | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/31 | Wyatt Travnichek | KS | Tampering with a public water system; reckless damage to a protected computer during unauthorized access | CWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/26 | Gunay Yakup | NY | Illegally removing asbestos | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/26 | Beatriz Santillan | CA | Smuggling illegal pesticides | FIFRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/23 | Aaron Rochester | IA | Unlawful storage of hazardous waste; unlawful transportation of hazardous waste | RCRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/22 | JP Lillis Enterprises, Inc D/B/A Cape Cod Ice | RI | Repeatedly faiing to implement a Risk Management Plan (RMP) to be executed in the event of an accidental release of anhydrous ammonia | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/19 | James Tassin | LA | Clean Water Act violation - related to oil spill | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/15 | 4 Brothers Dairy Andrew Fitzgerald |
ID | Unlawful discharge of pollutant into a water of the U.S. | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/9 | Andrew Ecklund | OH | Wire Fraud - related to falsifying laboratory test results | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/9 | Eric Jay Weckworth-Pineda Tanner John Sik |
MN | Negligent discharge of a pollutant - related to rupturing pipeline and subsequent spill of diesel fuel into the Yellow Medicine River | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/26 | Tae Ryung Yoon, aka Thomas Yoon; Yoo Jin Management Company Ltd; Mush Inn Corp. |
AK | Clean Air Act violations - related to illegal/improper asbestos removal | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/22 | PurEnvironment | WA | Making false claims of COVID protection; improper application of a pesticide | State | Sentencing | State Press Release |
| 2/19 | Russell McKeehan Sr. | IA | Storage of hazardous waste without a permit | RCRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/18 | James Petro Richard McGoey |
NY | Negligently causing the release of asbestos | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/10 | James S. Marshall | NY | Clean Air Act Violation - related to negligent handling of asbestos during renovations | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/27 | Andrew Walker | MS | Illegally discharging industrial waste into the Jackson sewer system | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/26 | Bonnie Dennee | WI | Conspiracy to store and transport hazardous waste without required permits and manifests | RCRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/26 | James Tassin | LA | Clean Water Act Violation - related to oil spill | CWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/19 | E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. Inc. | TX | Knowingly violating federal safety regulations and negligently releasing an extremely hazardous substance | CAA | Indictment | Press Release |
| 1/19 | Patrick Huse | LA | Criminal conduct related to oil extraction in the Gulf of America | CWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/19 | Brandon Wall | LA | Criminal conduct related to oil extraction in the Gulf of America | CWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/15 | Filibuster Distillery, LLC Filibuster Barrels, LLC Sid Dilawri |
VA | Violating the State Water Control Law (115 Counts) by dumping over 40,000 gallons of industrial waste into a stream of Shenandoah County | CWA | Indictment | |
| 1/14 | Robert J. Massey | MI | Illegal discharges of landfill leachate into the City of Flint sanitary sewer system over 8 and a half years. | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |