Albania Deleon, Fraud, Massachusetts 2011

Methuen, MA – Albania Deleon, the former owner of Environmental Compliance Training (ECT), has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for a complex scheme involving fraudulent asbestos training certifications, illegal employment of undocumented workers, and significant tax evasion. The case, which spanned over a decade and included an international flight from justice, highlights a brazen disregard for environmental regulations, worker safety, and federal law.

From approximately 2001 to 2006, Deleon operated ECT, a state-certified asbestos training school in Methuen, Massachusetts. However, authorities discovered that ECT routinely issued certifications to individuals who never completed the required four-day training course. These certificates were then used by recipients – many of whom were undocumented immigrants – to gain authorization to work in the dangerous asbestos removal industry. The motivation, according to investigators, was to allow workers to avoid losing a week’s pay while simultaneously circumventing the necessary safety training.

To conceal the fraud, Deleon implemented a system of falsified records. Applicants would sign pre-completed and graded final examination answer sheets, which were then filed as proof of course completion. Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that ECT issued training certificates to over 2,000 individuals who had not received the mandated instruction. Deleon further exploited this scheme by employing many of these untrained workers through her temporary employment agency, Methuen Staffing, sending them to job sites across Massachusetts, as well as neighboring states like New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut, and even further down the eastern seaboard.

The financial implications of Deleon’s actions were substantial. She deliberately paid most of her employees “under the table,” avoiding the withholding of taxes and contributions to workers’ compensation insurance. Only those employees who *had* received proper asbestos training – and whose wages were reported – were subject to these deductions. This allowed Deleon to evade over $1.2 million in tax payments to the IRS and $369,015 in payments to AIM Mutual Insurance Company. The scheme not only defrauded government agencies but also put workers and the public at risk by employing unqualified individuals in potentially hazardous environments.

Deleon’s scheme began to unravel in March 2008 when she was charged with multiple federal offenses. Following a two-and-a-half-week trial in November 2008, she was convicted on a range of charges, including conspiracy, making false statements, mail fraud, and procuring false payroll tax returns. However, just days before her scheduled sentencing in March 2009, Deleon fled the country, removing her electronic monitoring device and escaping to the Dominican Republic under an assumed identity and with a newly dyed blonde hairstyle. A joint operation between U.S. Marshals and Dominican Republic authorities eventually led to her arrest in Santo Domingo in October 2010, and she was extradited back to the United States.

On September 13, 2011, Deleon finally faced justice, receiving an 87-month prison sentence, followed by 36 months of probation. She was also ordered to pay $1,209,939.45 in restitution to the IRS and $369,015 to AIM Mutual Insurance Company. The case serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of fraudulent practices and the importance of upholding safety and legal standards in potentially dangerous industries.

Key Facts

Defendant: Albania Deleon
Location: Methuen, Massachusetts
Years of Operation: 2001 – 2006
Fraudulent Certificates: Over 2,000 issued to untrained workers
Undocumented Workers: Many recipients were illegal aliens seeking to avoid lost wages
Tax Evasion: Over $1.2 million evaded from the IRS
Insurance Fraud: $369,015 evaded from AIM Mutual Insurance Company

Laws Violated: Deleon was convicted of violating 18 U.S.C. 1001 (making false statements), 26 U.S.C. 7206(2) (filing false tax returns), 42 U.S.C. 7413(c)(4) (false statements related to EPA regulations), 18 U.S.C. 1341 (mail fraud), and 18 U.S.C. 371 (conspiracy).

Source: EPA Press Release

Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database

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