Defendants are ordered to pay fines to Maryland Clean Water Fund.
(photo courtesy Maryland Attorney General’s Office)
Montgomery County, MD – Two Maryland men have been convicted for illegally dumping toxic waste into a local waterway, leading to significant environmental damage and costly cleanup efforts.
Robert H. Dupey, 51, of Randallstown, and Jaime A. Beza, 33, of Berwyn Heights, both employees of JPG Plumbing and Mechanical, Inc., pleaded guilty to violating Maryland environmental laws. The case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit and the Montgomery County Department of the Environment.
According to officials, the incident occurred on April 18, 2024, when Dupey and Beza were tasked with vacuuming water and sludge at a Montgomery County site. After realizing their truck was too full of grease and other pollutants to complete the job, they chose to illegally dump the contents rather than transport it to the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Facility in Washington, D.C.
The two men drove to the Ashton Village Center and emptied the waste into a manhole behind a 7-Eleven convenience store. Surveillance footage captured the act, which resulted in pollution flowing directly into Ashton Pond, a water source within a residential community. The pond and its drainage pipes became clogged with grease, prompting a costly cleanup effort exceeding $69,000.
Authorities were alerted by a concerned citizen, and emergency crews responded by deploying absorbent booms to contain the pollution. JPG Plumbing and Mechanical later agreed to cover the cleanup costs.
Beza pleaded guilty on December 30, 2024, and was sentenced to 364 days in jail, which was suspended, along with supervised probation and a $2,000 fine payable to the Maryland Clean Water Fund. Dupey pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025, receiving probation and a $1,000 fine.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown condemned the illegal dumping, emphasizing the risks it posed to public health and the environment. He stated that businesses and their employees have a responsibility to properly handle waste and that lawbreakers will be prosecuted.
Environmental officials continue to stress the importance of following legal disposal procedures to prevent similar incidents that threaten Maryland’s waterways.