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No verdict yet in former CUC lab manager’s trial
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Posted on Jun 13 2005
Jurors reconvened yesterday at the U.S. District Court after a weekend break and continued their deliberations on the charges against former Commonwealth Utilities Corp. laboratory manager Pedro Babauta.
As of the close of business hours yesterday, the jurors has reached no verdict. The jury would continue to deliberate on their verdict beginning 8am today.
Federal prosecutors have charged Babauta with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and four counts of false documents.
Babauta allegedly tampered with water sampling results to conceal the true microbiological content of the CUC’s drinking water. Babauta is the husband of incumbent CUC executive director Lorraine Babauta.
Based on the indictment, CUC’s monthly water sampling report to EPA’s local arm, the Division of Environmental Quality, falsely represented that all samples had tested negative from the bacteriological tests on June 4, 1999.
The indictment also alleged that the firm’s submission on Dec. 22, 2000 falsely reduced the number of positive results for total coliform from four to two; Babauta allegedly caused CUC to reduce the number of positive results in the firm’s April 17, 2001 submission to DEQ.
Babauta allegedly omitted an entire series of samples that showed positive results for bacteria from a monthly report to DEQ on Sept. 4, 2001. Babauta allegedly made similar omissions in reports submitted to the DEQ on Nov. 14, 2002 and March 6, 2003.
The charges stemmed from investigation conducted by the EPA. The DEQ and its staff assisted in the probe.
Each count of the indictment carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, three years of supervised release, and a fine equaling the greater of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
