Tri-City men, firm sentenced for illegal dumping

Two Tri-City area men were sentenced by a federal judge Thursday after pleading guilty in June 2013 to illegally dumping industrial wastewater in Belle River and Baton Rouge, U.S. Attorney Walt Green said in a news release.
Raymond Marcel Jr., 62, of Berwick, and Cyril D. Robicheaux, 53, of Morgan City, along with Ram Environmental Services LLC in Morgan City were sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James J. Brady of U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana for their roles in a criminal scheme to violate the federal environmental laws, Green said.
Marcel was sentenced to two years of probation, a $1,500 fine, restitution in the amount of $114,969.13 to FAS Environmental Services and a $100 special assessment. Robicheaux was also sentenced to two years of probation, a $5,000 fine, full restitution to FAS and a special assessment, the release said.
Marcel and Robicheaux were owners and operators Ram Environmental Services, according a June 2013 article in The Daily Review.
RAM Environmental Services, a transportation and disposal company that is primarily in the business of transporting industrial wastewater using a fleet of tanker trucks, was sentenced Thursday to pay restitution in the amount of $114,969.13 to FAS Environmental Services based in Belle River, Green said.
The company was also sentenced to pay a $50,000 fine and a $400 special assessment, Green said. The company was placed on federal probation for a term of two years, Green said.
In June 2013, Marcel, Robicheaux and RAM Environmental Services pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and to violate the Safe Drinking Water Act, Green said. In connection with their convictions, the defendants had admitted that, in 2011 and 2012, they conspired with others to illegally discharge industrial wastewater at locations in Belle River and Baton Rouge and to otherwise obstruct the enforcement of the federal environmental laws through kickbacks, the creation and use of false documents, and other fraudulent means, Green said.
Thursday’s sentencing hearings were preceded by the sentencing of Michael J. Vaughn, who was sentenced in October 2013 to 12 months of incarceration at a federal half-way house, a five-year term of probation, forfeiture of about $23,000, and restitution to FAS Environmental Services, the release said.
Green said that FAS Environmental Services’ ownership was unaware of the defendants’ scheme. FAS Environmental Services terminated Vaughn’s employment, its former operations manager, upon learning of the scheme and cooperated fully, the release said.
In a related case, Roger J. Dies, of Zachary, is awaiting sentencing as a result of his convictions for failing to report third party wastewater discharges in violation of the Clean Water Act, and obstruction of justice, Green said.