Brain J. Wallace, Lying to Federal Agents, Georgia 2024
A federal contractor who served as the Head of the Environmental Services and Public Works Division at the Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) in Albany, Georgia, was found guilty by a federal jury of making false statements about his knowledge of whether a hazardous waste was pumped into the local community’s sewer system.
Brain J. Wallace, 59, of Leesburg, Georgia, was found guilty of one count of making a false statement to a federal agency on February 28, 2024, following a three-day jury trial that began on February 26, 2024. Wallace faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Co-defendant Horizon Environmental Services, LLC, pleaded guilty to reckless conduct on May 11, 2023, and was sentenced to two years of probation, 100 hours of community service, $900 in restitution to MCLB-Albany (Horizon’s profit for the contract work) and a $10,000 fine on August 3, 2023.
“Thankfully no hazardous waste made its way into the Flint River—a stunning ecosystem central to Southwest Georgia life—as a result of this gross deviation from the standard of care required by all industries disposing waste into our shared environment,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary.
According to court documents and evidence submitted at trial, MCLB-Albany provides facilities, infrastructure and tailored installation support services for operational forces worldwide. There is a production plant on base which disassembles old equipment—this includes stripping paint containing hazardous materials requiring proper disposal by federal law—and rebuilds the equipment.
The production plant’s waste is processed by the industrial wastewater treatment plant (IWTP), which is also located on MCLB-Albany. The IWTP discharges the treated wastewater to the City of Albany, which is permitted to properly handle this waste and does so for other large-scale industries in the community.
A sentencing date will be scheduled by the Court. Brain J. Wallace’s guilty verdict demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to protecting communities and their water resources and to holding those who materially falsify information accountable for their actions.
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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