News Releases
Lucas County Couple Sentenced for Illegal Scrap Tire Operation
2/16/2024
(TOLEDO, Ohio) — A Lucas County judge sentenced a Toledo couple to three months in jail and six months at a correctional drug treatment facility for illegally transporting and dumping scrap tires, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced.
Chad T. Gatter, 35, and Amanda N. Wagner, 36, pleaded guilty to the unclassified felony charges in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.
“These convictions send a clear message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated in our communities,” Yost said. “We will continue to hold accountable those who disregard environmental laws and endanger public health.”
The nine-month sentence includes three months at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio at Stryker and six months at the Lucas County Correctional Treatment Facility in Toledo. Additionally, the couple will be subject to three years of community control and required to pay restitution to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
The charges stem from summer 2022 when Gatter and Wagner illegally hauled more than 2,000 scrap tires from Toledo tire stores without proper authorization from Ohio EPA. The tires were then unlawfully dumped in the backyard of their residence at 1679 Tracy Road. Complaints from concerned neighbors prompted an investigation by the City of Toledo, leading to criminal charges against the couple.
Special agents from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Environmental Enforcement Unit conducted surveillance and obtained video evidence of the illegal tire operation.
Charges also were filed against Osama Al Awkati, owner of Uncle Sam’s Auto Center in Toledo, for his involvement in supplying scrap tires to Gatter and Wagner. Awkati was convicted of misdemeanors in December 2023 for his role in the scheme.
In September 2022, the Ohio EPA conducted a cleanup operation at the Tracy Road residence because of the environmental hazard the tires posed. More than 24 tons of scrap tires were removed to a licensed facility at a cost of $15,630, which Gatter and Wagner were ordered to pay as restitution.
This case underscores the commitment of Ohio law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies to hold accountable those who jeopardize public health and the environment through illegal activities.
AG Yost recently launched a campaign to bring great resources to address open dumping, particularly of scrap tires. The program, “Shine a Light on Dumpers,” is a multipronged campaign designed to expose illegal open dumping of solid wastes – including scrap tires, demolition debris and more – and to eliminate these inexcusable eyesores from Ohio neighborhoods. Shine a Light on Dumpers has online resources focusing on awareness, legal guidance, training, and investigative/prosecutorial assistance from the Attorney General’s Office.
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Hannah Hundley: 614-906-9113