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FALSE ASBESTOS CERTIFICATION SCHEME
Release Date: 07/01/99
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1999
FALSE ASBESTOS CERTIFICATION SCHEME
Seven men pleaded guilty on June 16 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York in Syracuse to conspiring to violate the Toxic Substance Control act in conjunction with efforts to fraudulently obtain certificates authorizing them or individuals they employed to work on asbestos removal projects. The men are: Anthony Priore of Clifton Park, N.Y.; Edward Jubic of Albany, N.Y.; Frank Costello of Utica, N.Y.; Charles Jubrey of Cohoes, N.Y.; John Mantynen of New Baltimore, N.Y.; Kenneth Nusca of Troy, N.Y.; and Lawrence St. Andrew of Troy, N.Y. They conspired with persons certified to teach an asbestos abatement course obtain certificates which falsely said that they had successfully completed asbestos abatement training. In fact, none of the defendants had completed the course or passed the exam, but they worked on asbestos abatement projects anyway. Certification and training in the safe removal of asbestos is required by law because improper removal of asbestos can lead to inhalation of asbestos fibers which can cause lung cancer a lung disease known as “asbestosis,” and mesothelioma which is a rare cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of up to one year in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the New York State Departments of Health and Labor, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
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