MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – A Texas City roofing company is facing charges of fraud relating to asbestos removal at a federal prison in Wisconsin.
The DOJ announced Friday the filing of criminal information and deferred prosecution charging Brazos Urethane, Inc. with attempting to defraud the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
According to the DOJ, Brazos contracted with the BOP in 2014 to replace roofs on buildings located at the Oxford Federal Correctional Institution (FCI Oxford) in Oxford, Wisconsin. Officials say the contract price was about $4,000,000.
The roofing project included the abatement of asbestos that contained materials requiring special removal and disposal procedures to prevent against asbestos contamination, says the DOJ. The BOP contract involved Brazos’ certification in maintaining a safe work environment. This included following a federal and state laws and obtaining required permits from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
“Brazos dumping hazardous material on a residential property wasn’t just dangerous for the community, it was defrauding the United States government. The public can rest assured that the asbestos has been properly removed and disposed of, and that Brazos is being held accountable for its actions,” William J. Hannah, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Midwest Region, said.
The DOJ states that Brazos dumped roofing waste materials from the Oxford worksite onto a property he bought near the prison in 2015. Wisconsin DNR regulators then reportedly found that the waste materials contained asbestos on Nov. 15, 2015. Environmental Protection Agency regulators allegedly found some as well on Dec. 16, 2021.
According to the DOJ, Brazos failed to reveal this illegal dumping and reportedly lied about its cleanup efforts once discovered.
In 2022, the Wisconsin DNR ordered Brazos to properly clean the roofing waste and remove it completely. The DOJ says Brazos also agreed to pay a monetary penalty of $300,000, representing the amount of money he reportedly saved as a result of the illegal dumping.
He also agreed to a three-year program that will prevent further violations of contract fraud and federal environmental laws. Following the three-ear program, the charge will be dismissed.
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https://www.wmtv15news.com/2024/02/09/texas-roofing-company-facing-charges-relating-asbestos-removal-wisconsin-federal-prison/
