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Two Men Indicted in Conspiracy to Use Homeless Men for Illegal Asbestos Removal in Virginia

Release Date: 8/7/2001
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113

Contact: Donna Heron: 215-814-5113

PHILADELPHIA – A federal grand jury in Charlottesville, Va., today returned a indictment charging two men with conspiring to illegally remove asbestos from aging buildings. The defendants employed untrained homeless men to remove asbestos from properties in Staunton, Va.

The indictment charges David Stephen Klein, 47, of Heathrow, Fla., wth illegally removing and disposing of asbestos, failing to notify federal and state regulators of the asbestos work; and conspiracy to commit those offenses. Klein operated Davold Real Estate Partnership, which in turn owned commercial buildings in the Staunton area, including the Masonic and the Towne Centre buildings.

The indictment also charges Josef Gene Weiss Jr., 48, of Harrisonburg, Va.,with identical counts. Weiss was employed by Klein to oversee the renovations, according to the indictment.

See the Department of Justice press release attached for full details.