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PA 3 CHARGED IN CASE AGAINST IOWA BARGE COMPANY

Release Date: 06/21/96
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Note: On February 5, 1997, Gary Newt and Newt Marine were acquitted after trial. Don Stoll, Robert Meana, John Hirsh, William Ries, and Mike Sandidge, who were employees of Newt Marine, pled guilty to charges stemming from the same activity for which Mr. Newt was acquitted. In June 1996, Don Stoll pled guilty to negligently violating the Clean Water Act and was sentenced in April 1997. On July 17, 1996, William Ries and John Hirsh pled guilty to knowingly violating the Rivers and Harbors Act and were sentenced in March 1997. In July 1996, Mike Sandidge pled guilty to knowingly violating the Rivers and Harbors Act and was also sentenced in March 1997. Ries, Hirsh, and Sandidge were each sentenced to 30 days confinement with work release privileges, one year supervised release, and a fine of $1,000 plus interest. In their pleas, Ries, Hirsh and Sandidge admitted to knowingly participating in the dumping of refuse into the Mississippi River without a permit. On January 31, 1997, Robert Meana pled guilty to knowingly violating the Rivers and Harbors Act and was sentenced in April 1997, to 30 days confinement, a fine of $3,000 and one year supervised release.

PA 3 CHARGED IN CASE AGAINST IOWA BARGE COMPANY

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1996

THREE MORE DEFENDANTS CHARGED AS CASE AGAINST IOWA BARGE CLEANING COMPANY CONTINUES

On June 14, criminal charges were filed against two additional current and one former employee of Newt Marine Service for knowingly dumping refuse including coal, fertilizer, salt and grain into the Mississippi River at Dubuque, Iowa without a discharge permit. William Rees, fleet supervisor for Newt Marine, John Hirsch, boat pilot for Newt Marine, and Michael Sandidge, former supervisor of Newt Marine, each face a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $100,000 for violating the River and Harbors Act. These charges are in addition to the criminal indictments brought against executives of Dubuque Barge and Fleet and Newt Marine on May 17. In the previous indictments, Gary W. Newt and Robert Meana were charged with six counts of conspiracy and of violating the Clean Water Act and Donald R. Stoll was charged with one count of negligently violating the Clean Water Act in connection with dumping 55-gallon drums of waste and pumping wastes directly into the Mississippi River without a permit. Gary Newt and Robert Meana face a maximum penalty of three years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000 on each count, Newt Marine Service may receive a maximum fine of up to $500, 000 on each count, and Donald Stoll faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. These new charges bring the total number of defendants in the case to seven. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division.