FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 9, 2002
Sheffield to be Arrested on
3 Felony Charges
TALLAHASSEE - At 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, Carlton H. Sheffield, 66, of 26254 Blue Star Highway in Quincy, will turn himself in at the Leon County Jail. Sheffield is being charged with three felony commercial dumping violations and five misdemeanor violations.
Today's arrest is the culmination of a nine-month DEP investigation, which began in October
2001, when a former employee of the Sheffield Body Shop on Tennessee Street in Tallahassee alleged that Sheffield was involved in illegal commercial dumping on some of his property. During the investigation, agents with DEP's Division of Law Enforcement conducted interviews and performed surveillance at various locations to confirm leads, which led to the simultaneous execution of search warrants at four locations in July 2002. A search of Sheffield's properties yielded crushed and dismantled mobile homes, insulation, asphalt, along with various car parts and pieces, all illegally buried on some part of the property.
As of yet, no arraignment date has been scheduled. The three felony charges carry a possible penalty of 5 years in jail and/or a $5,000 for each count. The five misdemeanor charges carry a penalty of 6 months in jail and not more than $10,000 for each count.
This investigation was a multiagency effort, which is part of the on-going Environmental Crimes Strike Force initiative led by DEP Division of Law Enforcement Director Tom Tramel. This initiative, which was created at the behest of DEP Secretary David B. Struhs, has thus far resulted in the investigation of over 2,300 criminal environmental cases since the year 2000.
During Governor Bush's administration the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Law Enforcement has investigated over 2,800 criminal environmental cases, which is nearly 3 1/2-times more cases than were investigated by all other administrations during the previous five years combined.
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Press Office
