Aaron Rochester, Environmental Crimes, Iowa 2021

Iowa man pleads guilty to environmental crimes, faces 5 years in prison and up to $275,000 in fines

Aaron Rochester, 47, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of unlawful storage of hazardous waste and one count of transportation of hazardous waste on March 19, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Rochester admitted that beginning on or about June 2015 through about January 2017, as owner and operator of Recycletronics, he knowingly and unlawfully stored and transported hazardous waste, namely CRTs (cathode ray tubes) and leaded glass from televisions and computers at various facilities in and around Sioux City, Iowa.

The illegal transportation and storage practices of Rochester significantly threatened and burdened nearby communities and the environment, said Lance Ehrig, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Iowa. Today’s plea demonstrates that those who knowingly violate our nation’s environmental laws will be held responsible for their crimes.

Rochester faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of up to $50,000 for each day of the violation, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rochester remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 18-4073.

Rochester’s case is a stark reminder of the dangers of improperly managed hazardous waste. If left unchecked, hazardous waste can pose serious risks to human health and the environment.

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Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/former-sioux-city-council-member-pleads-guilty-environmental-crimes