The operators of a Montgomery County, Maryland, company that handles liquid waste — such as fats, oils and grease and sewage — were sentenced in Prince George’s County Circuit Court for making false statements about where that waste ended up.
Jack Thomas Leigh and Jack Loson Leigh, both of North Potomac, pleaded guilty to five counts of falsifying documents tied to their business, according to a news release Thursday from Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh.
Operators who dispose of liquid waste, including sewage, are required to submit records detailing where the waste was picked up, how much was picked up, and where it was disposed.
In July 2019, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission first noted irregularities in manifests submitted by the men’s business, Leigh & Sons. In one instance, the documents claimed waste collected in Montgomery County had been disposed in Frederick County, but an investigation showed Leigh & Sons hadn’t used the Frederick County facility since 2014. When confronted, according to the release, the men acknowledged the falsifications.
In another instance, between 2020 and 2021, Leigh & Sons filed 16 documents claiming their company had disposed of waste in Baltimore City at a time when the Baltimore facility was not taking any private waste.
The Leighs submitted over 200 falsified documents, according to Frosh.
“Proper tracking of those pollutants is vital to our efforts to keep Maryland water safe and clean,” Frosh said. “The Leighs were informed they were violating the law yet willfully continued to file falsified documents.”
Jack Thomas Leigh was sentenced to two years of jail, all of which was suspended except for one weekend. He was also given five years supervised probation, and must complete 100 hours of community service.
Jack Loson Leigh was also sentenced to two years of jail, all of which was suspended. He will also have to complete five years of supervised probation, as well as 24 hours of community service.
David Grover, the attorney who represented the Leighs, called the sentences “a very generous and acceptable solution to the matter.”
