It’s good to see a case in which someone who commits fraud by misrepresenting qualifications and products in a toxic mold situation (which has enough corruption wrapped around it already) is held accountable especially when it involves other peoples health. katy
Written by Brad Durrell
Thursday, 06 August 2009
The man responsible for using bogus mold remediation services at the former Samuel Staples School has been sentenced to five years of probation, with the first six months spent in home confinement.
Ronald Schongar, 63, of Clifton Park, N.Y., was sentenced July 31 by Senior U.S. District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven Federal Court.
In addition to the probation and home confinement, Schongar also must perform 100 hours of community service while on probation.
Schongar was convicted of defrauding three Connecticut public school districts — including the Easton Board of Education — in a mold remediation scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut. He pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in the case on Jan. 30.
According to documents filed with the court and statements made in court, Schongar, using his company Microb Phase, was hired by school districts in Easton, Bristol and Manchester to use the “Microb Phase Process” and apply the product “Microb Shield” to provide mold remediation services for buildings in the three school districts.
From 2001 to early 2004, Schongar deceived school officials by falsely representing that “Microb Shield” was a product registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), bearing registration number 64881-3, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
However, “Microb Shield” was never registered with the EPA; and the product bearing EPA registration number 64881-3 was, in reality, called “Microbe Shield,” and registered to Aegis Environmental in Michigan.
Schongar and his company had no authorization from Aegis Environmental to apply the “Microbe Shield” product or to use EPA registration number 64881-3 to promote any product, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
He also deceived representatives from the Connecticut school districts by falsely representing that he and Microb Phase had a partnering relationship with the EPA, when no such relationship existed.
The Easton Police Department assisted the investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division.
Katy's Exposure 