The man accused of helping a friend find places to dump toxic debris in Suffolk County will avoid any jail time.
News 12 Long Island has reported that Ronald Cianciulli, owner of Atlas Asphalt, was found guilty of four of the six charges he was facing, including operating a solid waste management facility without a permit and endangering public health, safety or the environment.
Prosecutors said Cianciulli helped businessman Thomas Datre Jr. find places to dump toxic material, including at his Deer Park business and at another nearby property. News 12 was told that asbestos and at least two dozen hazardous substances were found in the materials dumped in Deer Park in 2014.
Ciancuilli received a conditional discharge at his sentencing today – meaning that he will not face jail time unless he fails to work fully with the state Department of Environmental Conservation to clean up the site.
In court, Ciancuilli said that he has already spent $100,000 of his own money to remediate the site and feels "terrible for what happened."
After the sentencing, Ciancuilli lawyer John Carman said his client felt a deep sense of responsibility but that most of the blame for the dumping belongs to Datre Jr.
"How Tom Datre [Jr.] abused Ron's trust is a centerpiece for this case," said Carman.
Ciancuilli was one of six men initially charged in the dumping scheme and the third so far to be sentenced. Datre Jr. received a year in jail when he was sentenced in April.