CALVERT COUNTY MAN GUILTY OF ALLOWING LARGE QUANTITIES OF SOLID WASTE TO BE DUMPED ON HIS LAND

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that George A. Underwood, Jr., 68, of the 1300 block of Ball Road, St. Leonard, Maryland was found guilty on November 21, 2006 in the Circuit Court for Charles County of allowing the disposal of litter in an amount exceeding 216 cubic feet on property he owned at 14600 Masons Crossing Road, Waldorf, Maryland. The finding of guilty resulted from Underwood giving permission to a demolition contractor, during the months of April and May 2005, to dump on his property, material that consisted of demolition debris. Included in the debris was concrete reinforcement bar, bricks, broken wood, plumbing, auto parts, clothing, and scrap tires.

Judge Amy J. Bragunier, after determining that the property had been cleaned up, imposed an eighteen-month jail sentence which was suspended and a $3,000 suspended fine. These sentences were stayed by the granting of a probation before judgment. Underwood was placed on three years probation with conditions that he obey all laws and that he does not allow any illegal dumping on his property.

This conviction follows 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, Solid Waste Division.