Future of Water - Fall Issue | 19
O
n Tuesday, October 23, 2012, U.S. District Judge sentenced
a water operations specialist to 33 months in prison, to be
followed by 3 years of supervised release for committing
mail fraud, U.S. Attorney for the District. The Judge also ordered the
operator to pay $22,056 as restitution to victims. U.S. Attorney is
joined in making today’s announcement by Special Agent in Charge
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation
Division (EPA-CID), Area Office, and the Director of the State Bureau
of Investigation (SBI).
According to filed court documents and related proceedings, the operator
is the owner and manager of “The System,” a company that, among
other things, samples and analyzes water systems samples. The client
list included public parks, churches, restaurants, campgrounds, mobile
home parks, apartment buildings, a child development center, a medical
center, a community club, a school, and a fire department, among
others. From 2005 through 2010, through the company, claimed to have
provided water sampling services to her clients, when in fact, they did
not. According to court records, for almost five years the owner/operator
either failed to properly conduct or did not conduct at all, required tests
related to the safety of customers’ water samples. In fact, sometimes used
tap water instead of the actual source’s water samples, court records show.
For example, a private lab that was sub-contracted to test the company’s
2007
end of year samples for more than 100 customers indicated that
all of the water samples were fake. The owner/operator pleaded guilty to
one count of mail fraud.
“
Customers relied on the system owner/operator to provide accurate
testing of their water supply,” said U.S. Attorney. “The operations
specialist actions put more than 100 water sources at risk of becoming
unsafe for drinking, potentially risking the health of hundreds or
thousands of individuals. The EPA and SBI are putting a stop to
this wide threat to public health.” “Violators who submit false
information undermine the government’s efforts to protect the public
and the environment,” said Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal
enforcement program. “In order to safeguard public health, it is
absolutely essential that companies and their senior managers comply
with environmental regulations. The defendant in this case knowingly
falsified drinking water samples, giving inspectors serious concerns over
the health of the community water systems involved. These illegal actions
cannot and will not be tolerated.” SBI Director stated, “Falsifying water
quality tests is against the law and potentially dangerous for all those
who rely upon the safety of clean drinking water.
Our SBI agents will keep working with our partners to enforce the law and
hold violators accountable. “The operator is required to self-report to the
Federal Bureau of Prisons, upon designation of a federal facility. Federal
sentences are served without the possibility of parole. Investigation of this
case was conducted by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the
SBI’s Diversion and Environmental Crimes Unit, and the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources Public Water Supply Section.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney of the
U.S. Attorney’s Office.
For Over Five Years the Defendant Provided
False Water Sampling to Customers
feature
“
In order to safeguard public
health, it is absolutely essential
that companies and their
senior managers comply with
environmental regulations.”