Stephen P. Aguiar, Jr., Mail Fraud, Massachusetts 2017

BOSTON — In a shocking turn of events, Stephen P. Aguiar, Jr., 47, of Westport, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud, defrauding the operator of the Fall River Landfill out of approximately $473,000 in disposal fees.

Aguiar, one of the owners and operators of Cleanway Disposal & Recycling, Inc., a trash removal and recycling company, and JS Aguiar Enterprises, Inc., a construction and equipment rental company, both located in Westport, was contracted with the company operating the Fall River Landfill to dispose of trash collected from his private clients in Fall River for one rate, and to dispose of trash collected from his private clients outside of Fall River for a higher rate.

Between 2009 and 2014, Aguiar misrepresented the origin of a significant portion of the trash he disposed at the landfill, claiming he was disposing trash from the Fall River Housing Authority, when in fact he was disposing trash collected from his private clients, thereby defrauding Fall River Landfill of approximately $473,000 in revenue.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, restitution and forfeiture. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2017.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb, Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, Massachusetts Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha, and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of Weinreb’s Public Corruption Unit is prosecuting the case.

Aguiar’s actions have left the community reeling, and the public is left wondering how such a large-scale scheme went undetected for so long. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.

As the case against Aguiar moves forward, one thing is clear: those who engage in such egregious behavior will be held accountable. The public can rest assured that the authorities are working tirelessly to ensure that justice is served.

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