Irving, TX – A former regional director of Califco, LLC, Jonathan Isaac Shokrian, was sentenced to federal prison and his company levied a hefty fine for knowingly exposing workers and the public to asbestos during a reckless renovation project in 2009. The case, brought by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), highlights a calculated cost-cutting measure that prioritized profit over safety and environmental regulations.
Califco, a Beverly Hills-based property management company with a regional office in Irving, Texas, owns several commercial properties in the Dallas area. In 2008, the company properly contracted a licensed abatement team to remove asbestos from a movie theater within the Crest Plaza Shopping Center, demonstrating prior knowledge of safe asbestos handling procedures. However, when undertaking a renovation of a former Fazio’s department store at the Plymouth Park Shopping Center, Shokrian allegedly disregarded those established protocols.
Instead of hiring a professional asbestos abatement contractor, Shokrian directed two day laborers to remove asbestos-containing ceiling and floor tiles, and associated mastic, from the abandoned Fazio’s building. Despite providing the workers with masks and respirators, these were insufficient to protect them from asbestos exposure. Crucially, Shokrian failed to inform the laborers – or a Califco maintenance worker on site – about the presence of asbestos in the materials they were handling. Furthermore, no notification was given to other tenants of the Plymouth Park Shopping Center, potentially exposing them to hazardous airborne fibers.
The situation escalated in February 2009 when the day laborers, under Shokrian’s direction, began using large quantities of gasoline in an attempt to expedite the removal of the asbestos-containing mastic. The strong fumes quickly permeated the shopping center and surrounding residential areas, triggering an emergency response from the Irving Fire Department. The department was forced to evacuate the Plymouth Park Shopping Center and a portion of a nearby neighborhood due to the dangerous concentration of gasoline vapors.
Shokrian pleaded guilty in June 2013 to one count of failure to notify under the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7413(c)(2)(B)). On February 18, 2014, he was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine. Califco, represented by its President and CEO, Elias Shokrian, also pleaded guilty to the same offense and was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine. Both Shokrian and Califco were mandated to cover the costs of medical monitoring for the exposed workers.
Key Facts
- Defendant: Jonathan Isaac Shokrian, Califco, LLC
- Location: Irving & Dallas, Texas
- Year of Offense: 2009
- Statute Violated: Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7413(c)(2)(B)) – Failure to Notify
- Penalties: Shokrian – 12 months + 1 day imprisonment, $25,000 fine. Califco – $500,000 fine, medical monitoring for victims.
- Details: Shokrian knowingly directed unqualified workers to remove asbestos without proper safety measures or notification, then used gasoline to accelerate the process, creating a public health hazard.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences for violating environmental regulations and prioritizing cost savings over the health and safety of workers and the public. The EPA continues to aggressively pursue enforcement actions against those who endanger communities by failing to adhere to asbestos handling protocols.
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
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