Jaime Beza, 33, and Robert Dupey, 51, acknowledged emptying their truck’s contents into a manhole behind a 7-Eleven instead of properly disposing of the waste.
Beza, who pleaded guilty in December 2024, was sentenced to probation and fined $2,000, while Dupey received probation and a $1,000 fine. The fines will be directed to the Maryland Clean Water Fund.
The incident occurred on April 18, 2024, when the two were assigned to remove water and sludge from a job site in Montgomery County. However, after picking up a truck from JPG’s lot in Laurel, they found the tank overloaded with grease and pollutants. Rather than drive two hours to the designated disposal site at Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Facility in D.C., they opted to dump the waste at Ashton Village Center in Olney.
Surveillance footage captured Dupey removing the vacuum hose while Beza opened the manhole, which drains directly into Ashton Pond, a community water source.
As a result, JPG Plumbing and Mechanical, Inc. was also held accountable and ordered to pay over $69,000 for cleanup costs.
“Polluters who cut corners at the expense of public health will face consequences,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “We remain committed to protecting our waterways and enforcing environmental laws.”
