Muncie, IN – Richard David Reece was sentenced in May 2008 following a federal investigation into the illegal storage and transportation of hazardous waste across Indiana. Reece, operating under the name Synco Technology, Inc., amassed a stockpile of electroplating chemicals intended for a business that never materialized in Farmland, Indiana. Instead of properly disposing of the materials, Reece embarked on a years-long scheme to abandon the waste in unsecured locations throughout Muncie.
The case, investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), revealed that beginning around 1996, Reece accumulated electroplating equipment and numerous drums and containers filled with dangerous chemical waste. When his proposed business failed to launch, he began a nomadic pattern of illegal dumping. In June 2002, Reece transported the waste via trailers to a vacant lot beside Hoosier Pete’s convenience store. Approximately a year later, in May 2003, he moved the trailers – and their hazardous contents – to an industrial park parking lot without the owner’s knowledge or consent.
Analysis of samples taken from the abandoned chemicals confirmed the presence of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste characteristics, including corrosivity, toxicity, and ignitability. This posed a significant environmental and public health risk to the surrounding communities. The EPA’s criminal enforcement program determined Reece knowingly violated federal regulations regarding the handling and disposal of hazardous materials. The abandoned waste required costly cleanup and remediation efforts.
On March 20, 2007, a federal grand jury indicted Reece on three counts of violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Specifically, he was charged with knowingly transporting hazardous waste without a manifest (42 U.S.C. 6928(d)(1)), knowingly treating, storing, or disposing of hazardous waste in an unpermitted manner (42 U.S.C. 6928(d)(2)(A)), and knowingly transporting hazardous waste without complying with manifesting requirements (42 U.S.C. 6928(d)(5)). Reece subsequently pled guilty to all three counts.
Sentencing and Restitution
On May 7, 2008, Reece received a sentence of 12 months probation. More significantly, he was ordered to pay $56,536 in restitution to cover the costs associated with the cleanup and remediation of the illegally dumped waste. This restitution was allocated as follows: $43,574.88 to the EPA Superfund, $12,473.59 to IDEM, and $488.49 to Delaware County. The case highlights the EPA’s commitment to pursuing criminal penalties for those who endanger public health and the environment through improper hazardous waste management.
Key Facts
- Defendant: Richard David Reece
- Business: Synco Technology, Inc.
- Location: Farmland and Muncie, Indiana
- Years Active: 1996 – 2003 (waste accumulation & illegal dumping)
- Statutes Violated: 42 U.S.C. 6928(d)(1), 42 U.S.C. 6928(d)(2)(A), 42 U.S.C. 6928(d)(5)
- Sentence: 12 months probation
- Restitution: $56,536 (to EPA Superfund, IDEM, and Delaware County)
- Waste Type: Electroplating chemicals (corrosive, toxic, ignitable)
GrimyTimes will continue to follow environmental crime cases and report on efforts to protect communities from hazardous waste violations.
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
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