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PA ENV. LAB EMPLOYEE GUILTY TO TO CHARGES IN HAZ WASTE SCHEME

Release Date: 5/10/96
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PA ENV. LAB EMPLOYEE GUILTY TO TO CHARGES IN HAZ WASTE SCHEME

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, MAY 9, 1996

ENVIRONMENTAL LAB EMPLOYEE PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGES IN HAZARDOUS WASTE FRAUD SCHEME

Alan P. Stevens of Massachusetts entered a plea of guilty to felony wire fraud charges connected to the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) generated by a high performance bicycle shop in Peabody, Mass. Stevens, who was a salesman for the environmental laboratory "Alliance Testing," admitted to falsely informing the Fat City bicycle shop that he had tested shop wastes and found them to be hazardous when, in fact, no tests had been conducted. He then used a telephone to rent a truck to haul the wastes away for disposal. Instead of taking the drums which contained hazardous wastes and PCBs to a legal disposal facility, Stevens simply dumped them in an empty lot. His use of the telephone to rent the truck to be used in connection with defrauding Fat City constituted a wire fraud. Stevens had previously served time in prison on a conviction for felony mail fraud committed in connection with the operation of "Stevens Analytical," which was an environmental laboratory that he owned. Under the plea agreement Stevens faces a possible sentence of a year and a day in prison and a fine of $10,000. The agreement also bars him from ever working in the area of environmental protection again. The case was the result of the successful cooperation of the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Attorney, and the Massachusetts Environmental Strike Force.

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