Jan. 19, 2001—Frederick Fish of Ipswich, Mass., was charged on Jan.10 with mail fraud in connection with disposal of over 10 million gallons of sewage.
The defendant is the owner and president of Raggs Inc., a sewage hauling business in Concord, Mass. Between January 1996 and September 1998, Fish allegedly disposed of sewage pumped from residential septic tanks and restaurant grease traps by discharging it into manholes connected to municipal sewers.
This dumping was allegedly done to avoid paying treatment fees. Fish allegedly charged his customers ten cents per gallon, claiming that the sewage was being properly disposed of at a local treatment facility. Such facilities in Massachusetts usually charge four and a half cents per gallon to accept sewage.
Fish allegedly illegally pocketed the money that should have been paid to the treatment facilities. If convicted, Fish faces up to five years in prison and/or up to $250,000 in fines.
The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts in Boston.
