Alex Wiggins, Dumping Waste onto Federal Lands, New Mexico 2014

ALBUQUERQUE – In a shocking case of environmental neglect, Alex Wiggins, 52, of Farmington, N.M., was sentenced to a year of probation for his misdemeanor conviction on a depredation of government property charge.

Wiggins, who worked for his brother’s company, A-1 Septic, was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. His brother, Anthony Wiggins, 55, was sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to pay $2,193.13 in restitution to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to cover the cost for cleaning up the septic waste.

The investigation began in March 2013, after a private citizen reported seeing a black sludge-like substance on a remote rural road in San Juan County. The BLM partnered with the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office (SJCSO) to conduct the investigation, which included covert cameras photographing a septic vacuum pumper truck and the defendants as they dumped residential septic tank waste onto BLM-administered federal lands on March 6 and 9, 2013.

Wiggins entered a guilty plea on May 27, 2014, to a misdemeanor information charging him with depredation of government property. In his plea agreement, Wiggins admitted that he and his brother dumped several truckloads of raw sewage onto land owned and administered by the BLM for the purpose of disposing of the waste.

Anthony Wiggins entered a guilty plea in October 2013 to Count 3 of the indictment, which charged him with the felony offense of depredation of government property. He was sentenced on May 30, 2014 to a year of probation and ordered to pay $2,193.13 in restitution to the BLM.

This case was investigated by the BLM and the SJCSO and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Sullivan.

The case highlights the importance of environmental protection and the consequences of neglecting our natural resources. The sentencing of Alex Wiggins serves as a reminder that those who commit environmental crimes will be held accountable.

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