Former asbestos abatement contractor sentenced to 12 years for violating clean air act
MADISON — Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Lloyd Robl, 49, New Richmond, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 12 years in prison, and three years of supervised release.
On June 20, 2019, Robl pleaded guilty to wire fraud and a Clean Air Act violation. Judge Conley imposed a 72-month sentence on each count to run consecutive to each other. The court also ordered the federal sentence to run consecutive to Robl’s current state prison sentence of 30 months for felony possession of methamphetamine.
Robl worked as a self-employed asbestos abatement contractor in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He performed asbestos removal and disposal services for residential and commercial clients in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Robl engaged in a scheme to defraud his clients by: (1) falsely advertising on Craigslist he was licensed, insured and bonded to do asbestos abatements; (2) failing to tell his clients that his Minnesota license had been revoked in July 2001 and he was permanently enjoined by the State of Minnesota from providing asbestos abatement services; and (3) providing his clients with falsified records including falsified insurance policy documents, falsified Minnesota asbestos abatement licenses, falsified air sampling results, and falsified asbestos waste manifests.
In addition, Robl violated the Clean Air Act by knowingly releasing asbestos into the ambient air which placed others in imminent danger of death and serious bodily harm. Robel improperly disposed of asbestos-laden waste by: (1) burning the materials in burn piles or in 55-gallon drums at his home; and (2) spreading the ashes collected in the 55-gallon burn barrels along the tree line and in the farm field behind his home.
At the September 12 sentencing, nine victims testified against Robl, including four individuals who were methamphetamine addicts hired by Robl to do asbestos removal jobs with Robl. These victims explained that Robl paid them with methamphetamine, and failed to properly train them or equip them with respirators, suits, or cleaning materials. Two customers testified that Robl provided them with licenses purporting to show he was licensed by the State of Minnesota to remove asbestos. Finally, two fire fighters with the New Richmond Fire Department testified about fires they put out at Robl’s home that involved out-of-control fires in burn pits and in 55-gallon drums. The fire fighters were never told there was asbestos waste in these fires.
Judge Conley noted at the September 12 sentencing that Robl “has a lack of any moral compass,” and that while Robl may have been a victim to his own methamphetamine addiction, “the gravity of his ways, and his use of other addicts, shows a depth of conduct not typically seen by other persons acting under the influence of drugs.” Judge Conley added that Robl exposed people to a cancer-causing substance without their knowledge or consent. “His willful conduct caused harm to society and the environment, and countless others who will never be known.”
After the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Blader said, “My office is committed to holding accountable those who endanger their fellow citizens by degrading the environment for their own selfish financial gains.”
Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Lynn of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division added, “The defendant improperly handled asbestos, presenting a serious health threat to workers and the general public, and then tried to conceal evidence of the illegal acts. [The September 12] sentencing shows EPA’s commitment to prosecute those who try to undermine environmental laws and the protection of human health and the environment.”
The charges against Robl are the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- Criminal Investigation Division, the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Law Enforcement. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Graber.