Environmental Law

Baggett Sentenced

By Walter James

Sorry about the period with no posts ? I just plain got busy . . ..

On October 14, 2009, the USEPA announced that Larkin Baggett was sentenced to twenty (20) years in prison by the United States District Court in Key West, Florida.  You may recall that Baggett was originally charged with illegally dumping pollutants in violation of the Clean Water Act.  

In April 2008, two months before his trial, Baggett became a fugitive when he failed to appear in court, as required by the conditions of his release and bond.  Baggett was then listed on the USEPA?s fugitive website http://www.epa.gov/fugitives.  In December 2008, the USEPA received a tip as to Baggett?s whereabouts as a result of the listing on the web site.  Baggett was arrested after a short gun battle when USEPA and other law enforcement officers attempted to arrest him in Marathon, FL.  Baggett was also sentenced for illegally possessing firearms and aggravated assault on law enforcement officers. 

Baggett owned and operated Chemical Consultants, Inc., North Salt Lake City, Utah, a company that mixed and sold chemical products used in the trucking, construction, and concrete industries.  Baggett was originally indicted in September 2007, on charges related to illegally dumping various pollutants onto the ground and into a drain that led to the treatment plant operated by the South Davis Sewer Improvement District in West Bountiful, UT.  According to court records, Baggett disposed of wastes by dumping them onto the ground and into a sanitary sewer drain which caused the facility to violate permit limitations for acute toxicity.

More later.

As always, feel free to contact me via e-mail at walter.james@jamespllc.com.

Full post as published by Environmental Crimes Blog on October 15, 2009 (boomark / email).