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First Criminal Prosecution in U.S. for Lead Hazard Warnings Required by Lead Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 - Landlord Indicted for Lying About Lead Paint Hazards

Release Date: 3/14/2001
Contact Information: Donna Heron, 215-814-5113

Donna Heron, 215-814-5113

GREENBELT, Md. – A federal grand jury has returned a 15-count indictment charging David D. Nuyen, 65, owner of 15-low-income rental properties in the District of Columbia and Maryland, with obstruction of justice and submitting false documents.

Nuyen, of Silver Spring, Md., was required to notify tenants of actual or potential hazards of lead-based paint prior to the signing of a lease. When the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) contacted him in September, 1998, Nuyen was unable to produce the required records.

He subsequently presented HUD with backdated forms containing false, fictitious and fraudulent staements and he also directed his building managers to have tenants sign and backdate the lead paint disclosure form

If convicted, Nuyen could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison on each count and a $250,000 criminal fine. EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division participated in the investigation.

Complete details are contained in the March 14 press release from the U.S. Department of Justice which is attached.