BALTIMORE – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced the sentencing of Michel Osei, 48, of Hanover, Maryland, on environmental crimes charges related to the illegal dumping and ultimate abandonment of over 250,000 scrap tires at a site in Allegany County, Maryland.
On October 16, 2024, Osei pleaded guilty before the Honorable Judge Jeffery S. Getty of the Circuit Court for Allegany County to 17 environmental crimes: one count of unlawful disposal for gain, eight counts of operating a scrap tire facility without a license, and eight counts of improper handling of waste—nuisance.
Judge Getty sentenced Osei to 5 years of incarceration, suspending all but 45 days, 5 years of probation, ordered restitution of $250,000 to the Allegany County Commissioners and a fine of $300,000 to the Maryland Clean Water Fund, all suspended.
The investigation was led by the Attorney General’s Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit (ENRCU), the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), and the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal.
The investigation revealed that in June of 2021, Osei approached the Allegany County Office of Economic Development with a proposal to operate a scrap tire recycling facility in the county. Osei claimed the facility would eventually employ up to 50 people and already had millions of dollars of contracts to send the recycled tires overseas. The county offered a land-lease with favorable terms for an industrial parcel bordering the Potomac River at 23302 Westernport Road SW in Westernport in Allegany County. On July 19, 2021, Osei began operations at the facility. Osei and his employees would go on to collect over 100,000 scrap tires from various locations in West Virgina. Those tires were taken to the facility in Westernport. Few, if any, tires were ever removed.
MDE inspectors first became aware of the operation on October 7, 2021. A site inspection and complaint documented approximately 10,000-15,000 scrap tires at that time. The property had no permits, and the tires were stored outside and uncovered, in piles that posed a significant fire hazard. MDE also contacted the Maryland State Office of the Fire Marshal due to the seriousness of the risk of fire.
Between the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2022, MDE and the Fire Marshal ordered Osei to stop operations on multiple occasions. When Osei ultimately abandoned the site in September 2022, it was estimated that over 250,000 scrap tires remained onsite, strewn across the property and packed into tractor trailer containers. Allegany County has since started to clean-up the site.
Scrap tires are tires no longer suitable for their original purpose by virtue of wear, damage, or defect. The handling of scrap tires is regulated by MDE through authority granted by Title 9 of the Environment Article and related regulations. Scrap tires pose a number of health risks to people and the environment. They may only be transported by a licensed scrap tire hauler. Scrap tires may only be stored, sorted, or processed at licensed facilities in accordance with the terms of a license issued by MDE. MDE has a tiered license system that distinguishes between a “Secondary Scrap Tire Collection Facility,” which is authorized to store up to 1,500 scrap tires, and larger operations designated as either a “Primary Scrap Tire Acceptance Facility” or “Scrap Tire Recycler.” The larger facilities require a more detailed and thorough licensure and approval process similar to the installation of a solid waste acceptance facility or solid waste transfer station requiring review, notice, public hearing, and bonding.
In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Brown thanked the Criminal Division, the Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit, Chief Counsel D’Arcy Talley, Assistant Attorney General Kory H. Lemmert, Chief Investigator Thomas Waugh, and Investigator Ronald Weinreich Jr. Attorney General Brown also thanked partners at the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Allegany County Government, and the State’s Attorney for Allegany County James F. Elliott, for their assistance in this investigation and prosecution.
Makes no sense. Spend alot of money and resources conducting the investigation. There seems to be no real punishment for this guy. 45 days in jail and all fines suspended. Seems the State and County are the losers again.
My sentiments exactly.
I wonder who ended up selling all the rubber?
Once again our democrat led justice system in Maryland refused to put someone in jail for breaking the law? If we bothered to jail criminals, including even teens who are criminals, they wouldn’t be walking the streets commiting more crimes. Do you think looking at his sentence by what appears to be a paid off judge isn’t a prime example of the Democrats militarizing our judicial system?
So basically he is not responsible for any of the crimes he committed??? This is a waste of taxpayers money to prosecute someone whom acknowledged they are guilty.
I agree with the other commentors, WTF is the point of any of this? Who did this guy pay off? “5 years of incarceration, suspending all but 45 days, 5 years of probation, ordered restitution of $250,000 to the Allegany County Commissioners and a fine of $300,000 to the Maryland Clean Water Fund, all suspended.” is a fancy way of saying he is getting away with 90% of it and is going unpunished.
Only the 5 year sentences was suspending to 45 days. The other charges and fines still exist.
“All suspended.” He isn’t being required to pay any fines.
Read the 3rd paragraph of the article again. “5 years of incarceration, suspending all but 45 days, 5 years of probation, ordered restitution of $250,000 to the Allegany County Commissioners and a fine of $300,000 to the Maryland Clean Water Fund, all suspended” In addition to suspending all but 45 days of incarceration, the 5 years probation, $250,000 restitution, and the fine of $300,000 were all suspended. So this a–clown gets to spend 45 days in jail, and the taxpayers get SCREWED! The judge in this case is another waste of tax dollars!
So county say sure you can do this guy can’t get rid of them no one even offered help them comes back with complaints then does same thing guy does but they have licenses to do it … Allangany is just dumb we want to thank everyone 😭😩🙏👏 haha what a JOKE
incarceration and fines and restitution suspended??? How about make that guy load every single tire into trucks, alone. The legal system in that jurisdiction is a joke!
Go back to school and learn to read
Judge Getty sentenced Osei to 5 years of incarceration, suspending all but 45 days, 5 years of probation, ordered restitution of $250,000 to the Allegany County Commissioners and a fine of $300,000 to the Maryland Clean Water Fund, all suspended.
He pled guilty, so his lawyer cut a deal with the county. A very sweet deal at that. Tires are not worth anything in fact, you have to pay to dispose of them. This deal sucks.