Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Accessory Charge

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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Accessory Charge

BUFFALO, N.Y.– Chris Coseglia, a 27-year-old man from Ohio, has pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to a false statement under the Clean Air Act, U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul announced today.

Coseglia, an air sampling technician and project monitor for JMD Environmental, Inc., was certified by the New York State Department of Health to conduct asbestos project monitor and air sampling duties. He was part of a team that conducted asbestos abatement activities at six buildings at the Kensington Towers Apartment Complex in Buffalo from June 9, 2009 to January 11, 2010.

The investigation revealed that co-defendants Johnson Contracting of WNY, Inc., Ernest Johnson, and Rai Johnson created false daily project logs to document the progress at Kensington Towers. Specifically, Rai Johnson wrote in a log that all material containing asbestos had been removed from the boiler room at building B-2, when in truth, all asbestos had not been removed.

Coseglia conducted a visual inspection of the boiler room on August 25, 2009, and issued a satisfactory report, despite being aware that all asbestos had not been removed. This action made him an accessory after the fact to the false statement made by the Johnson defendants.

This is the second defendant to plead guilty as part of the Kensington Towers asbestos abatement project. Other charged defendants include JMD project monitors Evan Harnden and Brian Scott; and current and former public officials responsible for certifying the project’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including Donald Grzebielucha, William Manuszewski, and Theodore Lehmann.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a fine of $125,000, or both. Sentencing is scheduled for February 13, 2014, at 12:30 p.m. before U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara.

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