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FISCAL YEAR: 2018
1. PRINCIPAL DEFENDANT: Sean Doctor
W.D.  New York  12-CR-308
2. DEFENDANT: Comprehensive Employee Management
W.D.  New York  12-CR-308
3. DEFENDANT: Raj Chopra
W.D.  New York  12-CR-308

Comprehensive Employee Management (CEM), an environmental consulting company located at 1815 Love Road in Grand Island, NY provided consulting services to defendant Sean Doctor and his asbestos abatement company, S.D. Specialty Services, LLC. CEM was owned by Raj Chopra. Pursuant to federal regulations, all owners or operators of an asbestos abatement project regulated under the Clean Air Act, must maintain a waste shipment manifest to include the name of the owner/operator; the name of the generator; and the date the asbestos was transported. The information enables the Environmental Protection Agency, which enforces the Clean Air Act and associated regulations, to properly and timely investigate suspected violations of the Clean Air Act.

From December 2009 to January 2010, employees of S.D. Specialty performed asbestos abatement work at the Roosevelt Park Shelter in Buffalo, which was subject to regulations of the Clean Air Act. During the project, S.D. Specialty employees removed asbestos from the Roosevelt Park Shelter and transported the material to a waste container at CEM on Grand Island.

On March 11, 2010, defendants Doctor and CEM executed an asbestos waste manifest which falsely indicated that asbestos had been transported to CEM from the Roosevelt Park Shelter on that date. In truth and in fact, such asbestos had been transported to, and stored at, the Grand Island location prior to March 11, 2010. As such false statement was included in the shipping manifest created when a local waste disposal company retrieved the waste container at CEM on March 11, 2010, such false statement became part of a record required to be maintained under the Clean Air Act.

In addition, on April 28, 2011, an inspection of the Roosevelt Park Shelter revealed asbestos was improperly left behind by employees of S.D. Specialty.



November 1, 2017
Doctor was sentenced to pay a $2,000 fine and serve 12 months probation after pleaded guilty to making a false statement under the Clean Air Act.
CITATION: 42 U.S.C. 7412, 42 U.S.C. 7413(c)(2)(A)
March 23, 2018

Chopra was convicted of accessory after the fact to a false statement under the Clean Air Act. CEM was convicted of making a false statement under the Clean Air Act.

CEM was sentenced to pay a $25,000 fine and serve 12 months of probation. Chopra was ordered to serve 12 months of probation.

CITATION: 18 U.S.C. 3, 42 U.S.C. 7412, 42 U.S.C. 7413(c)(2)(A)
STATUTE:
  • Clean Air Act (CAA)
  • Title 18 U.S. Criminal Code (TITLE 18)

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