(TOLEDO, Ohio) – Attorney General Mike DeWine announced that Jeremy Goldthwaite, 31, of Toledo, in Lucas County Court of Common Pleas pleaded guilty Monday to one felony count of Illegal Storage of Scrap Tires. Lucas County Common Pleas Judge James D. Jensen sentenced him to pay a $10,000 fine and to serve five years of community control. Goldthwaite is also required to complete 150 hours of community service and pay $2,500 to the Ohio Scrap Tire Management Fund within two years.
"The proper storage and disposal of tires is essential for the care of the environment and to protect the health of Ohioans," said Attorney General DeWine. "We are happy to have worked with the Ohio EPA in getting this situation resolved."
Goldthwaite acquired more than 300 tires during the 2009 clean-up of a property on Reynolds Road in Toledo. However, he then placed the tires in a rental storage unit instead of properly disposing of them at a licensed scrap tire facility as required. Goldthwaite abandoned the rental unit and the tires were found by the storage unit owner, who contacted the Lucas County Sheriff.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Special Investigations then began a criminal investigation in conjunction with the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Environmental Enforcement Unit, which led to the prosecution by Attorney General DeWine's office.
Goldthwaite also paid $623 in restitution for proper scrap tire disposal and unpaid rental unit costs to the owner of the South Holland-Sylvania Road storage facility.
The judge reserved a two year prison sentence for any violations of community control.
Media Contacts:
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