Riazzi John, Asbestos Removal, Ohio 2015

Ohio Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Asbestos-Related Offense

John Riazzi, sole owner and operator of St. Peters Partners LLC, pleaded guilty in federal court today to a felony charge stemming from the illegal removal of asbestos-containing roofing material from a building located in downtown Dayton.

The crime occurred on September 2015, when Riazzi purchased the Steam Plant from the City of Dayton for $10. Later, after being told by his contractor that the roof of the Steam Plant contained asbestos and would cost approximately $20,000 to remove, Riazzi hired two men to remove the roofing over a weekend for $5000 – without warning them about the asbestos.

Riazzi admitted that he knew, or should have known, that the roof contained asbestos. He also admitted that he did not have the roof inspected for asbestos prior to its removal, as the law required.

“Mr. Riazzi purposefully cut corners and endangered the health of those performing the roof removal. To make matters worse, he then lied to and misled investigators when asked about his wrongdoing” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

“Renovating old buildings is great. Doing so without regard to air safety is not. And knowingly declining to inspect a roof before removing it, after having been warned that the original materials contained asbestos, is a federal crime,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio.

As part of his plea, Riazzi also acknowledged that he had personally used a leaf blower to blow roofing debris from the outside of the Steam Plant into the median of Third Street and had dumped a load of roofing material in some bushes opposite the Steam Plant. He likewise admitted to making several false statements to the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency (RAPCA), which was investigating the roof removal.

This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations, with the assistance of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Laura Clemmens of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, and Adam Cullman, Trial Attorney for the Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section.

The defendant, John Riazzi, will face the consequences of his actions. The exact sentence or outcome is not specified in the press release. However, it is clear that Riazzi's actions had severe consequences for the health and safety of those involved.

St. Peters Partners LLC, the company owned by Riazzi, is responsible for the illegal removal of asbestos-containing roofing material.

Riazzi's crime occurred in Dayton, Ohio, in September 2015.

The defendant, John Riazzi, pleaded guilty to a felony charge stemming from the illegal removal of asbestos-containing roofing material.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of federal and state authorities to holding accountable those who deliberately harm the environment and risk public health in order to save money.

The case is a good example of federal and state authorities working together to hold accountable someone who jeopardized his workers' safety, as well as the quality of the air in Dayton, just to save a few bucks in construction costs.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/ohio-business-owner-pleads-guilty-asbestos-related-offense