Two men who previously worked for the county of Cayuga have been accused of illegally removing asbestos from city buildings.

The case took a sudden turn earlier this week when the former county Buildings and Grounds Superintendent pleaded guilty in the wrongful removal.

Witness Shocks Jury

Ernie DeCaro, who was serving as a witness in the illegal asbestos removal case against John Chick, shocked the jury by admitting that he did nothing to prevent the removal from taking place.

According to the suit, the two men ordered their employees to illegally remove asbestos from the Board of Elections building in 2006.

Decaro was one of the seven witnesses called to speak against Chick and his decisions regarding the asbestos problem.

However, Decaro admitted to knowing about the removal without doing anything about it.

Anthony Garropy, a maintenance worker at the building, claims that the working conditions were “dangerous and dirty.”

Illegal Removal and Consequences

Chick reportedly ordered the removal of asbestos from pipes and a boiler at the city building.

He now faces up to five years in prison.

“He should have, and could have, stopped the project immediately,” says defense attorney Paul Carey.

(Source: The Citizen)

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