Both Defendants Allegedly Violated Suffolk’s Evergreen Law
Two men have been arrested for violating Suffolk County’s Evergreen Law after allegedly dumping a pile of construction waste and household debris in a remote wooded area within the protected Long Island Central Pine Barrens Region.
On November 6, Charles Weiss, 32, of Coram, and Marvin Sandoval, 28, of Ronkonkoma, allegedly loaded a U Haul box truck with construction waste and household debris and then drove into a remote wooded area within the Pine Barrens, where they dumped the contents of the truck onto the forest floor. The materials they allegedly dumped consisted of pieces of wood furniture, used paint cans, paint rollers, shower doors, chandeliers, large pieces of styrofoam, a sink, a granite countertop, tools, and multiple bags of household garbage.
The defendants’ alleged conduct was uncovered by two civilian witnesses who sifted through the pile for any identifying information and then contacted law enforcement. A joint investigation between the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Suffolk County Park Rangers, and the Town of Riverhead Police Department identified Weiss and Sandoval, who had allegedly solicited a job of cleaning up a house for a $1,000 fee and then, instead of properly disposing of the debris, allegedly selected the Pine Barrens as their dump site.
In December 2023, District Attorney Raymond Tierney, County Executive Ed Romaine, and Sheriff Errol Toulon, along with leadership of the New York State Police, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Suffolk County Park Rangers, Long Island Pine Barrens Law Enforcement Commission, and Crime Stoppers, announced the Suffolk County Evergreen Initiative – a collaborative plan to curb illegal dumping on county property and within the Central Pine Barrens Region by ramping up and coordinating enforcement, imposing harsher fines, and enhancing civilian incentive to report dumpers.
In early 2024, the Suffolk County Legislature amended Suffolk County Code § 433-7 to raise the maximum fines for dumping in the Pine Barrens Region to $15,000 for individuals and $25,000 for corporations. It additionally mandated that 33% of fines collected from convictions under the statute would be remitted to members of the public who provided information leading to the arrest and conviction of offenders. This award was designed to spur the interest and assistance of the public in identifying and preventing illegal dumping in this largely unsurveilled area.
The Evergreen Initiative thus relies heavily on deterrence and citizen stewardship as a means of protecting an otherwise vulnerable and voiceless victim. The amendments were thereafter signed into law by the County Executive and enacted in March 2024.
“Last December, I stood with the County Executive, Sheriff, and other law enforcement partners charged with protecting our environment to announce the Evergreen Initiative,” Tierney said. “The Long Island Pine Barrens are necessary to the health of our ecosystem, but at the same time, is incredibly fragile. I am fully committed to preserving our natural heritage and will take any and all actions necessary to deter and defend against pollution.”
“Any person who is caught dumping trash or any other debris in our county parks will face the full strength of the law,” Romaine said. “I thank District Attorney Ray Tierney and the Suffolk County Park Rangers and Police Department for their dedication to protecting our parklands and communities.”