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LANDLORD SENTENCED FOR LYING ABOUT LEAD PAINT HAZARDS
Release Date: 03/22/2002
Contact Information:
FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2002
LANDLORD SENTENCED FOR LYING ABOUT LEAD PAINT HAZARDS
Luke C. Hester 202-564-7818 / [email protected]
Luke C. Hester 202-564-7818 / [email protected]
In the first criminal case in the United States involving a violation of the Lead Hazard Reduction Act, David D. Nuyen of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced to serve two years in prison and was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.
Nuyen is a landlord and proprietor of approximately 15 low-income rental properties in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Nuyen previously pleaded guilty to making false statements to obstruct a federal investigation and violating the Lead Hazard Reduction Act. Nuyen admitted in his plea that even though he had been informed that there were lead paint hazards in one of his buildings, he failed to notify tenants. In addition, he obstructed an investigation by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by presenting HUD with falsified forms that purported to show that he had notified his tenants of the potential for lead hazards when they moved into their apartments. In reality, he had not notified his tenants. Exposure to lead paint dust can cause a variety of illnesses, including neurological disorders. As part of his guilty plea, Nuyen provided all tenants with new notices about lead paint assessments performed by an independent contractor. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, HUD and the FBI. It was prosecuted by the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s offices in Greenbelt, Md., and Washington, D.C.
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