Jesse Murphy, Jr, 33,  the owner of Southern Waste Systems of Louisiana, was sentenced June 30 to pay a criminal fine of $25,000, plus court costs and an additional $12,000 in costs of investigation and prosecution for environmental crimes. The $12,000 was ordered by the court to the following: $7,000 Department of Environmental Quality Criminal Investigation Division (DEQ-CID) and $5,000 to the Orleans Parish District Attorney's office. Southern Waste Systems of Louisiana was also sentenced to 24 months probation and a criminal fine of $2,000.
 
Murphy was placed on probation for five years by the court. Murphy also agreed to perform community service by cleaning up illegal dumping sites in New Orleans East, and submit a plan ensuring future compliance by his company to DEQ.
 
Murphy pled guilty to three counts of illegal disposal of solid waste by disposing of waste at an unpermitted location in New Orleans East.   Southern Waste Systems of Louisiana pled guilty to one count of illegal dumping concerning the same series of criminal acts. Murphy's willingness to plead guilty at the time of formal charging, cooperation with law enforcement, full acceptance of responsibility, and showing these acts, which occurred over three years ago, were all now corrected by his company constituted mitigating factors in this case.
 
"DEQ will continue to aggressively support the renaissance of New Orleans by pursuing illegal dumping which creates an impediment to economic development and a blight affecting the beauty of the city," said Mike Daniels, an attorney representing the DEQ-CID.
 
"Many businesses are partnering with DEQ to rebuild New Orl
eans into a model city for our country, and those few who choose to undermine these efforts can no longer hide in the shadows without consequences," said Jeffrey Nolan, DEQ-CID Manager.
 
Anyone who witnesses illegal dumping is asked to contact the DEQ toll-free 1-888-763-5424 or DEQ-CID at (225) 219-3944.
 
The case was handled by the DEQ-CID and by the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office.

This article was originally published in the July 6, 2009 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper