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Two Shawnee men have been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of allegedly disposing hazardous waste in to the city’s sewer system and defrauding the government. One of them also has been accused of filing false income tax returns two successive years.
The grand jury indictment, released Wednesday, accuses David Richard Brown and Jerry Wayne Story each of one count of conspiracy to dispose hazardous waste without permit; three counts of disposing hazardous waste without a permit; one count against each for defrauding the government.
Story is also accused in two counts of filing a false income tax return in 2008 and again in 2009 for the 2007 and 2008 calendar years.
Shawnee City Manager Brian McDougal said citizens have nothing to worry about concerning the hazardous waste material being dumped in the city’s sewer system. He assured there is no public health hazard, pointing out this deals with the city’s wastewater, not its drinking water.
McDougal was unaware of the indictments or of any investigation until notified by the editor of The Shawnee News-Star.
He said in checking with Shawnee Police Russell Frantz, Utilities Director Jim Bierd, and Randy Brock, also of the Utilities Department, that a complaint had been brought to the city’s attention in 2007. That was before McDougal became city manager here in February of 2009, and before Frantz, Bierd and Brock were in their present positions, McDougal said.
The complaint was investigated by city staff and local police, and turned over to state and federal authorities. Until Wednesday’s indictment, city officials knew nothing more about it, although they had asked federal authorities to keep them apprised of any investigation.
According to the indictment, Brown was owner and operator of Brown Materials Silver Refining, Inc. Story reportedly was manager of the day-to-day operations, and the company’s employees, although no record of his employment was maintained by the company, the indictment further states.
The indictment states the operations of Brown Materials produced cyanide solutions that are a hazardous waste and waste plating bath residue that is a hazardous waste. Reportedly, the company had no permit to store or dispose of hazardous waste which is required by the Environmental Protection Agency or the state.
The conspiracy count against the pair accuses them of concealing a tank in a pickup truck, then pouring the hazardous waste into the tank. They would dump the waste down manholes, car wash drains and other places, the charges allege, through a hole cut in the bottom of the truck.
The indictment alleges they did this on the following dates and times:
• Feb. 21, 2007 into a sewer manhole located at 1515 T. Tucker
• Jan. 14, 2008, into a sewer manhole located at 1208 E. Margaret
• Jan. 26, 2010, they illegally stored the hazardous waste on property located at 3333 Skyview.
The two are also accused of conspiring to possess forged securities by making out checks drawn on Brown Materials’ bank account using the fictitious name of Larry Johnston, a nonexistent employee of the company.
They allegedly introduced Story to bank employees as Larry Johnston and in 2007 had checks made out to that name totaling $64,718. In 2008, the checks totaled $85,372.88.
Two Shawnee men have been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of allegedly disposing hazardous waste in to the city’s sewer system and defrauding the government. One of them also has been accused of filing false income tax returns two successive years.
The grand jury indictment, released Wednesday, accuses David Richard Brown and Jerry Wayne Story each of one count of conspiracy to dispose hazardous waste without permit; three counts of disposing hazardous waste without a permit; one count against each for defrauding the government.
Story is also accused in two counts of filing a false income tax return in 2008 and again in 2009 for the 2007 and 2008 calendar years.
Shawnee City Manager Brian McDougal said citizens have nothing to worry about concerning the hazardous waste material being dumped in the city’s sewer system. He assured there is no public health hazard, pointing out this deals with the city’s wastewater, not its drinking water.
McDougal was unaware of the indictments or of any investigation until notified by the editor of The Shawnee News-Star.
He said in checking with Shawnee Police Russell Frantz, Utilities Director Jim Bierd, and Randy Brock, also of the Utilities Department, that a complaint had been brought to the city’s attention in 2007. That was before McDougal became city manager here in February of 2009, and before Frantz, Bierd and Brock were in their present positions, McDougal said.
The complaint was investigated by city staff and local police, and turned over to state and federal authorities. Until Wednesday’s indictment, city officials knew nothing more about it, although they had asked federal authorities to keep them apprised of any investigation.
According to the indictment, Brown was owner and operator of Brown Materials Silver Refining, Inc. Story reportedly was manager of the day-to-day operations, and the company’s employees, although no record of his employment was maintained by the company, the indictment further states.
The indictment states the operations of Brown Materials produced cyanide solutions that are a hazardous waste and waste plating bath residue that is a hazardous waste. Reportedly, the company had no permit to store or dispose of hazardous waste which is required by the Environmental Protection Agency or the state.
The conspiracy count against the pair accuses them of concealing a tank in a pickup truck, then pouring the hazardous waste into the tank. They would dump the waste down manholes, car wash drains and other places, the charges allege, through a hole cut in the bottom of the truck.
The indictment alleges they did this on the following dates and times:
• Feb. 21, 2007 into a sewer manhole located at 1515 T. Tucker
• Jan. 14, 2008, into a sewer manhole located at 1208 E. Margaret
• Jan. 26, 2010, they illegally stored the hazardous waste on property located at 3333 Skyview.
The two are also accused of conspiring to possess forged securities by making out checks drawn on Brown Materials’ bank account using the fictitious name of Larry Johnston, a nonexistent employee of the company.
They allegedly introduced Story to bank employees as Larry Johnston and in 2007 had checks made out to that name totaling $64,718. In 2008, the checks totaled $85,372.88.
