A Lockport man is facing up to five years in prison after pleaded guilty to lying about the dumping of a massive amount of hand sanitizer, considered a hazardous waste, in Niagara Falls.
Michael J. Hale, 65, of Lockport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to making a materially false statement, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
In December 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency executed a search warrant at 3800 Highland Ave. in Niagara Falls, involving an investigation into the improper storage and disposal of hand sanitizer, according to U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
The investigation began following a tip from a community member in October 2023 that a large quantity of hand sanitizer had been dumped outside. During the search, the EPA documented the presence of expired hand sanitizer that had been dumped on the property outside in a pile measuring 73 feet long, by 24 feet wide, by 5 feet high. Samples were taken of the hand sanitizer and determined to be ignitable according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), meaning, the hand sanitizer was considered a hazardous waste.
At the time, Hale was vice president of Regional Logistics Group LLC, a warehousing business that was a tenant at 3800 Highland Ave. Investigators called Hale during the search and asked how the hand sanitizer got on the property, to which he replied that he had no idea and didn’t know when the hand sanitizer had been brought to Highland Avenue. However, Hale knew and was aware that the hand sanitizer had been dumped outside 3800 Highland Ave. and had been originally brought to Highland Avenue between January and May of 2022.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Environmental Protect Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Charles Carfagno, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, under the direction of Commissioner Amanda Lefton.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 22 before Judge Arcara.