Colorado Attorney General ,John Suthers, announced yesterday that the Statewide Grand Jury had indicted Richard Oliver on four felony charges involving asbestos removal and disposal. The charges include Causing or Contributing to a Hazardous Waste Incident, Knowing Endangerment, and Bribery of a Witness.

The indictment alleges that between January 1, 2008, and May 1, 2008, Oliver's company, Kingston Properties LLC, engaged in the illegal removal and dumping of materials containing asbestos during the renovation of several properties. This despite the fact that Oliver was advised of the possible presence of asbestos at the properties by a State-trained and certified contractor who gave him a bid for the work in March of 2008.

Because he was in possession of such knowledge, it is alleged that Oliver knowingly endangered at least three employees by exposing them to asbestos without their knowledge, failed to provide any warnings of the potential risks of the work, and failed to provide them with proper protection.

In response to the contractor's report, Oliver is alleged to have said that he would "hire a bunch of Mexicans" to do the removal for less.

Oliver is also accused in the indictment of offering a monetary bribe to one of the alleged victims in return for providing altered testimony to the Statewide Grand Jury that would have shifted blame for the illegal activity to the contractor who filed the complaint.

Oliver faces a possible sentence of 18 years in prison if convicted on all counts. His employees, of course, face the potential of a far stiffer sentence.

Workers Compensation