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Landlord Sentenced to Two Years in Jail for Lying About Lead Paint Hazards - First Criminal Prosecution in U.S. for Lead Hazard Warnings Rule

Release Date: 3/14/2002
Contact Information: Donna Heron: (215) 814-5113

Contact:  Donna Heron (215) 814-5113

GREENBELT, Md. – David D. Nuyen, 65, a landlord and company owner, was sentenced to two years in prison for obstruction of justice and submitting false documents to federal officials investigating compliance of the Lead Hazard Reduction Act.

Nuyen, of Silver Spring, Md., was required to notify tenants of actual or potential hazards of lead-based paint prior to their signing of a lease. When the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) contacted him in September, 1998, Nuyen was unable to produce the required records.

He subsequently presented HUD with backdated forms containing false, fictitious and fraudulent statements and he also directed his building managers to have tenants sign and backdate the lead paint disclosure form.

In addition to incarceration, U.S. District Court Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Nuyen to pay a fine of $50,000. Nuyen will also provide all tenants with new notices about lead paint assessments performed by an independent contractor, which is required under the terms of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

See the attached U.S. Department of Justice March 13 press release for complete details.

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