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Surveyor Pleads Guilty in North Carolina Wetlands Case

Release Date: 11/30/2005
Contact Information:


Contact: Dave Ryan, 202-564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

Michael Todd Ball of Loganville, Ga., pleaded guilty on Nov. 15 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina to conspiracy, making a false statement and violating the Clean Water Act. According to the charges against him, Ball conspired with others to falsify wetlands delineation maps and make specific parcels of land appear suitable for development. He then assisted in the development of a false delineation map and forged the signature of an Army Corps of Engineers official on the false map. The map was then turned in to the Corps of Engineers to justify land-clearing activities which impacted protected wetlands. The current landowners are working with regulatory agencies to mitigate damage at the site. Wetlands are important resources for purifying surface waters and they are a home for many species. The case was investigated by the Charlotte Office of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Army Corps of Engineers. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of North Carolina.