John Chick, the former Cayuga County carpenter who pleaded guilty to illegally removing asbestos from a county building two years ago, will serve 15 months in prison.
Chick learned his sentence Thursday morning in U.S. District Court in Syracuse. Judge Frederick Scullin Jr. also sentenced Chick to three years post-release supervision and ordered him to pay $108,000 in restitution in monthly installments.
Chick will begin serving his sentence on April 22.
In court, Chick said that he was merely following orders from superiors, a charge county leaders have denied. Scullin said that even if Chick's story is true, he still must bear some responsibility.
The illegal asbestos removal took place in February 2006 at the Cayuga County Board of Elections building. The case has resulted in roughly 30 people, from county employees to members of the public, filing claims against the county over possible exposure. The elections building itself was shut down for several weeks for cleanup.
For more on this story, read Friday's edition of The Citizen.
Chick will begin serving his sentence on April 22.
In court, Chick said that he was merely following orders from superiors, a charge county leaders have denied. Scullin said that even if Chick's story is true, he still must bear some responsibility.
The illegal asbestos removal took place in February 2006 at the Cayuga County Board of Elections building. The case has resulted in roughly 30 people, from county employees to members of the public, filing claims against the county over possible exposure. The elections building itself was shut down for several weeks for cleanup.
For more on this story, read Friday's edition of The Citizen.
