TWO CHARLES COUNTY PROPERTY OWNERS CHARGED WITH ALLOWING LARGE QUANTITIES OF SOLID WASTE TO BE DUMPED ON THEIR LAND

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that George A. Underwood, 68, of 1365 Ball Road, St. Leonard, Maryland and Carl R. Breeden*, 61, of 14600 Masons Crossing Road, Waldorf, Maryland have been charged in the Circuit Court for Charles County with illegal disposal of solid waste. The charges allege that Underwood and Breeden violated the State’s solid waste control laws between April 24, 2005 and May 6, 2005 at 14600 Masons Crossing Road, Waldorf, Maryland, by illegally allowing the disposal of construction and demolition material on their property in amounts exceeding 216 cubic feet.

If convicted of the illegal disposal of litter in an amount exceeding 216 cubic feet, Underwood and Breeden could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and/or fined $30,000. The filing of a criminal charge is merely an accusation of criminal wrongdoing and each individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Court has set an arraignment date for June 2, 2006 in La Plata.

These charges follow a joint investigation conducted by the Environmental Crimes Unit of the Office of the Attorney General and the Maryland State Police with the assistance of the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Solid Waste Division.

*Carl R. Breeden was found not guilty in the Circuit Court for Charles
County on 8/31/06.