Criminal Press Releases - 2020
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/18 | Jiule Lin | MA | Distribution and Sale of an Unregistered Pesticide | FIFRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/16 | JP Ellis Enterprises d/b/a Cape Cod Ice | RI | Repeatedly failing to implement a risk management plan | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 12/15 | Libertas Copper d/b/a Hussey Copper | PA | Submitting a false discharge monitoring report, illegal discharge, failure to notify | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/19 | James Moss | WI | Conspiring to store and transport hazardous waste without permits and manifests; tax evasion | RCRA Title 18 |
Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/18 | Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) | PA | Discharging sludge into the Allegheny River; false statements | CWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/17 | Andrew K. Ecklund | OH | Wire Fraud - related to falsifying laboratory results (testing for government agencies) | Title 18 | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/10 | Jude Chukwuebuka Amadike | NY | Knowingly distributing or selling an unregistered pesticide | FIFRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/10 | Po Shan Wong Zhen Wu JCD Distribution, Inc |
NY | Conspiring to distribute and sell unregistered pesticides (COVID-related fraud) | FIFRA | Indictment/Information | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/9 | Patrick James Schwarte | IA | Knowingly falsifying, tampering with, and rendering inaccurate a monitoring device | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 11/5 | Veronica Perez | CA | Smuggling an unregistered pesticide into the United States | FIFRA | Trial | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/30 | David D. Klepadlo | PA | Tampering with a government witness; falsifying official documents | CAA Title 18 |
Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/30 | 4 Brothers Dairy, Inc Andrew Fitzgerald |
ID | Negligent discharge of manure laden water into Milner Gooding Canal at three locations | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/22 | James Kenneth Ward | MT | Illegally dumping radioactive contaminants (Former EPA Fugitive) | RCRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/20 | Ben Wootton Race Miner Keystone Biofuels, Inc. |
PA | Renewable fuels fraud | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/8 | Valley Crest Foods, Inc. | OR | Discharging E Coli bacteria-containing wastes into the South Fork of the Coquille River | CWA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/6 | Cin-Air LP | OH | Mishandling a jet fuel leak | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 10/2 | Aaron Micah Jamison | KY | Illegal storage of hazardous waste; theft from employee benefits plan; conspiracy to commit mail fraud | Title 18 RCRA |
Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/29 | Jacob Lee Davis | WY | Illegal/improper asbestos removal | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/28 | Rockwater Northeast LLC Select Energy Services Inc |
PA | Emissions Tampering on heavy-duty diesel trucks including installing defeat devices and modifying emissions systems | CAA | Plea Agreements | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/17 | David Stuart Lutz | NC | Illegal storage, handling and transportation of hazardous waste | RCRA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/16 | David Schleif | KS | Discharging untreated or inadequately treated sewage into the Kansas River | CWA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/10 | Kevin Shibilski Thomas Drake James Moss Bonnie Dennee |
WI | Storing and disposing of hazardous waste without a permit | RCRA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 9/2 | Marc Victoriano (Professional Safety Consultants) |
LA | Falsifying asbestos certification; falsifying asbestos laboratory reports | AHERA Title 18 |
Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/27 | Marek Majtan | MD | Selling unregistered and misbranded pesticides (COVID-19 related fraud) | FIFRA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/20 | Cai Feng Yang a.k.a. Kevin Yang | CO | Distributing unregistered pesticides | FIFRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/10 | Edward Miller | NE | Illegal Disposal of Hazardous Waste | RCRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 8/5 | CG Roxane LLC (Crystal Geyser) | CA | Unlawful storage of hazardous waste and unlawful transportation of hazardous material | RCRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 7/15 | Michael J. Miske Jr, et. al. | HI | Racketeering conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, posession of chemical weapons and other charges (See full press release) | Title 18 | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 7/10 | Peter Margiotta | MT | Clean Air Act violations - related to explosion at Custom Carbon Processing plant; Conspiracy | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/11 | Stephen Matthew Shumaker | GA | Mail Fraud; Knowingly distributing and selling a misbranded pesticidal device | Title 18 | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/9 | Rong Sun | GA | FIFRA violation (COVID-19 related fraud) - Selling an unregistered pesticide as protection against viruses | FIFRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 6/7 | Amin M. Salem | OH | Money Laundering, unpermitted discharge into a U.S. waterway, unpermitted animal slaughter | Title 18 CWA |
Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/29 | Rong Sun | GA | Selling unregistered pesticide as protection against viruses such as COVID-19 | FIFRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/27 | Harcros Chemicals, Inc. MGP Ingredients, Inc. |
KS | Clean Air Act Violation - related to toxic chlorine gas cloud formation | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/22 | Thomas Drake James Moss Bonnie Dennee |
WI | Conspiracy to transport hazardous waste without the required permits and manifests | RCRA | Information/Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/15 | Robert Carville | NY | Illegally storing hazardous waste without a permit | RCRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 5/13 | Curtis Technology Inc. | CA | Illegally transporting hazardous waste | RCRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/28 | David Alan Meyer | SD | Unlawful Taking of Bald Eagles; Unlawful Taking of Migratory Birds; Unlawful Use of Restricted Use Pesticide | FIFRA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 4/9 | Rong Sun a.k.a. Vicky Sun | GA | FIFRA Violation - related to COVID-19 fraud scheme | FIFRA | Arrest/Court Appearance | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/18 | Vikas Jain | PA | Clean Air Act Violation - related to illegal/improper asbestos removal and disposal | CAA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/11 | Terry Foster | GA | FIFRA Violation - related to lacing deer carcasses with a restricted, highly poisonous pesticide to kill wildlife | FIFRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/16 | Lev Aslan Dermen a.k.a. Levon Termendzhyan | UT | Renewable Fuels Fraud | Title 18 | Trial | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/2 | Curtis Technology, Inc. | CA | Illegal Transportation of Hazardous Waste | CERCLA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 3/2 | Luis Alberto Vargas | CA | Smuggling illegal pesticides into the U.S. from Mexico | Title 18 | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/28 | Dennis Morgan | PA | TSCA Violations - related to failure to disclose lead hazard warning | TSCA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/19 | Collegiate Entrepreneurs, Inc. | CT | TSCA Violation - related to illegal/improper lead based paint removal | TSCA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/10 | Jeremiah Young | CA | Unlawful Discharge of Industrial Wastewater | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/5 | Thomas Toy | NJ | Illegally Storing Hazardous Waste | TSCA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 2/2 | David Alan Meyer | ND | Unlawful Use of Restricted Use Pesticide, Unlawful Taking of Bald Eagle, Unlawful Taking of Migratory Birds | FIFRA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/31 | Harcos Chemicals | KS | Clean Air Act Violation - related to toxic cloud formation | CAA | Plea Agreement | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/24 | Hector Garza, Jr Tammy Garza HTG Trucking LLC Freedom Fuel Inc. |
WA | Fraud, false statement - related to renewable fuels fraud | Title 18 | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/17 | John H. Couey | MS | Submitting false statements, false lab results | CWA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/16 | Mohammad Sikder | DC | Illegal/improper lead based paint work practices | TSCA | Sentencing | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/9 | CG Roxanne, LLC (Crystal Geyser) | CA | Unlawful storage of hazardous, unlawful transportation of hazardous material | TSCA | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |
| 1/9 | James S. Marshall | NY | Clean Air Act violations, making a false statement | CAA, Title 18 | Indictment | DOJ Press Release |