Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, along with Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID), and Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced today that JOSE CORREA, a contractor based in New Jersey, has pled guilty to the negligent release of asbestos into the air. This violation, under the Clean Air Act, placed individuals at risk of death and serious bodily harm. Correa pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky, and the case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, “As he admitted in court today, Jose Correa decided to cut corners by failing to hire an asbestos abatement contractor to safely remove floor tiles and mastic from a supermarket in East Harlem. Correa instead had construction workers complete this dangerous work—without providing them with basic safety equipment—and put in harm’s way those he had a responsibility to protect. This Office remains committed to protecting all individuals from the harms caused by environmental crimes.”
Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge of EPA-CID, emphasized the health risks, saying, “Asbestos exposure can cause cancer, lung disease, and other serious respiratory diseases. In this case, General Contractor Correa failed to hire trained and certified asbestos abatement professionals. Defendant Correa did the work ‘on the cheap,’ negligently putting workers and others at risk.”
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber highlighted the severity of such actions: “Abatement of asbestos poses serious safety risks to workers and to the public if handled improperly, and federal regulations governing abatement are intended to reduce those risks. Today, the general contractor responsible for an illegal abatement at a Harlem supermarket pleads guilty to a felony, showing that flouting those regulations has serious consequences. I thank the NYC Department of Environmental Protection for notifying DOI and prompting this investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Criminal Investigation Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their partnership on this case.”
From November to December 2022, Correa, as the general contractor for a construction project at a supermarket in East Harlem, oversaw the removal of asbestos-containing floor tiles and mastic. He failed to hire a licensed asbestos abatement contractor, instead assigning his construction workers to perform the dangerous task without protective gear such as masks or suits. His negligence led to the release of asbestos into the air, endangering workers and others nearby.
Correa, 66, of Englewood, New Jersey, pled guilty to one count of negligently causing the release of asbestos into the air. This charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, though the actual sentence will be determined by a judge.
U.S. Attorney Williams praised the thorough investigative efforts of EPA-CID and DOI. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Rothman.