FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2001
Seminole Man Arrested For Falsifying Lab Results
TAMPA - On
Monday, December 10, 2001, Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Law Enforcement special agents arrested Steven Donald Stratton,
51, of Seminole, Florida. He has been charged with nine felony counts
of organized communications fraud. The arrest is the part of an
investigation that began in March 1999 and is on going.
Mr. Stratton is the
owner of Environmental Evaluations, Inc., an environmental consulting
business that contracted with clients to conduct environmental evaluations
of sites during the removal of underground petroleum storage tanks.
Stratton has been charged with falsifying laboratory reports and charging
clients for laboratory services not provided in several southwest Florida
counties.
"The
deliberate falsification of records is not only a crime in this state, but
it also has the potential to adversely impact Florida's environment,"
said DEP Law Enforcement Director Tom Tramel. "It is not the mission of
our department to target minor violations committed by honest property
owners, however, we will investigate those who intentionally undermine
Florida's environmental standards for profit."
The Department's
Law Enforcement Division coordinated its efforts with the DEP Southwest
District Underground Storage Tank Program, the Pinellas County Sheriff's
office, and the Office of the Statewide Prosecutor in Orlando.
This investigation
was conducted as part of a statewide crackdown on polluters who profit from
the repeated disregard of Florida's environmental laws. Citizens with
knowledge of major environmental crimes should call the Environmental Crimes
Strike Force Hotline at 1-877-2-SAVEFL.
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