BALTIMORE CITY MAN CONVICTED OF ILLEGAL DUMPING

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today the conviction of a Baltimore man for illegal commercial dumping in Baltimore City. Jaha Smothers, 43, of the 1800 of Guilford Avenue, pled guilty Thursday to dumping scrap tires in excess of 500 pounds in a wooded area off of the 5700 block of Sinclair Lane on September 28, 2000. The defendant had been followed to the dump site after the Attorney General's Environmental Crimes Unit received information regarding individuals using a U-Haul truck to haul and illegally dump scrap tires near that location.

Judge John M. Glynn sentenced Mr. Smothers to two years in prison, suspended all but 90 days, and placed the defendant on supervised probation for a period of two years. Mr. Smothers faced a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail and/or a $25,000 fine.

"This conviction is another example of the effectiveness of state and local cooperation," Attorney General Curran said. "The illegal dumping of scrap tires creates a public nuisance that negatively impacts the quality of life of Maryland citizens."

By law, the dumping, depositing, throwing or leaving of any litter on any public or private place is prohibited unless such property is designated otherwise by the State, one of its agencies or one of its subdivisions. The Sinclair Lane property is not an authorized state or city disposal site.

The conviction resulted from a joint investigation of the Office of the Attorney General, Maryland Department of the Environment, Baltimore City Department of Public Works and the Baltimore City Police Department into the unlawful disposal of scrap tires in Baltimore City.

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