Lab Owner Sentenced in Asbestos Scam

Article Added December 24th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story

A former laboratory owner was sentenced this week to more than two years in jail for his part in an asbestos scam. The man was accused of falsifying air test results to cover up the fact that deadly asbestos was still present in some cases.

A former laboratory owner in New York has admitted to falsifying air tests and destroying documents in what could be the largest asbestos scam in the nation’s history. The man testified that he falsified documents for AAR Contractors, omitting the presence of deadly asbestos after the company had performed cleanups. He also stated that he destroyed documents proving that the cleanups were not properly executed, and that he had turned in false income tax returns to hide the activity between his lab and the contractor.

The man and his laboratory potentially put hundreds of people at risk by covering up the incomplete asbestos removal. By falsifying the reports, the laboratory gave affected areas clean reports, allowing people to return to the areas thinking they were safe. Asbestos is a normally harmless material used as a form of insulation or fire retardation. Only after asbestos is disturbed, which can occur during removal, is the material dangerous. Inhaling asbestos fibers can result in respiratory diseases including asbestosis, emphysema and mesothelioma, a form of deadly lung cancer.

Article Added December 24th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story