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PA DEFENDANTS CONVICTED FOR DESTROYING WETLANDS

Release Date: 06/21/96
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PA DEFENDANTS CONVICTED FOR DESTROYING WETLANDS

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1996

DEFENDANTS CONVICTED ON CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR DESTROYING WETLANDS

James J. Wilson, chairman of the board of Interstate General, a publicly-traded real estate development company, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, in Greenbelt, Md., on June 17, to a fine of $1 million and 21 months imprisonment for illegal filling of wetlands in Charles County, Md. In addition, fines of $3 million were imposed on two companies that took part in the development of the land where the wetlands were filled. Wilson must pay a personal fine of $1 million within six months. In addition, Interstate General was fined $2 million. The second company, St. Charles Associates, which is a closely related partnership was fined $1 million. Both corporate fines are to be paid within two years. The companies were also placed on probation for a period of five years and were ordered to implement a wetlands restoration plan. In addition to paying the fine during the probationary period, IGC and SCA must also comply with other terms of probation, including developing an effective environmental compliance plan to prevent future violations of the law and implementing the wetland remediation plan. On Feb. 19, a federal jury found the defendants guilty on four felony counts of illegally destroying wetlands in violation of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The violations, which began in 1988 and continued through 1993, related to four separate sites containing a total of approximately 50 acres of wetlands in St. Charles, Md. These wetland areas were identified as such on the National Wetlands Inventory Map, as well as on Charles County topographic maps, prior to their being destroyed. According to evidence presented at the trial, as early as April 1988, the defendants received and ignored warnings from their own consultants that there were wetlands in St. Charles that could not be developed without federal permits. These warnings concerning the need for a permit for the wetlands activity were repeated by other consultants in 1989 and 1990. EPA's Criminal Investigation Division was the lead investigative agency on the case, with assistance from the FBI.