Glamis Dunes Storage Inc. and its owner, Michael Mamelli, Sr., have pleaded guilty to the illegal disposal of untreated human waste and sewage at their storage facility in Imperial County, California.
The defendants admitted to dumping potentially millions of gallons of untreated human waste and sewage at the Glamis Dunes site, located off of Highway 78 in Imperial County, between 2010 and 2012. They had obtained a permit to install a 20,000 gallon holding tank for RV waste, but instead built a leach field and pumped the waste underground without permission.
The defendants further admitted to adding a new pump and two 2,500 gallon tanks in series to the pipe connecting the RV holding tank to the leach field between August and October of 2012. They continued to dispose of the sewage in the RV holding tank by discharging it through the underground tanks and leach field without a permit or other authorization from the EPA.
The defendants agreed to forfeit $50,000, which was deemed to be the proceeds of the offense. They also agreed to make restitution to the Bureau of Land Management and the Imperial County Department of Environmental Health, and to fund the restoration of the site to the satisfaction of the Imperial County Department of Environmental Health.
Glamis Dunes Storage, Inc. and Michael Mamelli, Sr. are scheduled to appear before U.S. District Court Judge William Q. Hayes on February 17, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. for sentencing.
Michael Mamelli, Sr., the owner of Glamis Dunes Storage, Inc., is 63 years old and resides in Newport Beach, California.
The charges against the defendants include unlawful injection of pollutants, a felony, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 300h-2(b)(2). The maximum penalty for the individual is three years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the illegal gain or loss, whichever is greater. The maximum penalty for the corporation is a fine of up to $500,000.
The investigation was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigations Division and the Bureau of Land Management.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Public Corruption|Environmental Crime|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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