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September 03, 2013
Utica, New York - The fifth man prosecuted in a scheme that saw tons of asbestos debris illegally dumped on a property along the Mohawk River in Central New York has been sent to prison for his role in the plot to skirt environmental laws involving the disposal of the toxic material.
An article by the Associated Press reports that Jonathan Deck of Norwood, New Jersey has been sentenced by a federal judge to 15 months in prison. The 59-year-old is the last of the five to be sentenced. Indeed, all the individuals involved in this asbestos dumping scheme have received prison terms and been ordered to pay fines to assist in the clean-up of the contaminated area. Deck’s fine has been set at $492,000.
The two major players in the scheme, Donald Torriero and Julius DeSimone, had conspired to cover the entire lot, located in Frankfort, New York, with construction and demolition debris that had been processed at various solid waste management facilities.
Though their plan was discovered just a few months after it began, the men and their co-conspirators had already dumped 400 truckloads of the waste on the property, which borders the Mohawk River. The men also created a phony New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) permit, on which they forged the name of a DEC official.
“Torriero and DeSimone endangered the health of both their fellow citizens and sensitive wetlands by violating numerous laws meant to ensure the proper disposal of toxic materials,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Robert Dreher of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division stated at the time of their arraignment, acknowledging that exposure to the hazardous materials could cause diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
“All the defendants in this case conspired to illegally dispose asbestos containing material. This case demonstrates that the American people will not tolerate those who make money by breaking the law and damaging the environment,” said Vanessa Jones-Allen, Acting Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in New York.
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