Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Carleton Pulley, 48, of Bay Shore, was arrested and charged with Endangering Public Health, Safety or the Environment, Unlawful Disposal of Hazardous Waste, and other related charges, stemming from his alleged illegal dumping of hazardous waste and old tires at the former Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center in April 2023.
“This defendant allegedly disposed of dangerous materials illegally in order to avoid the fees that he would have been required to pay had he disposed of them properly,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Thankfully, the damage to the environment was mitigated due to the immediate discovery of the waste by law enforcement and the quick remediation by the Town of Islip and the property owner.”
“This is an ugly act and a serious offense that we do not take lightly,” said Town of Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter. “We are grateful to the district attorney’s office, local law enforcement, state DEC, and the dedicated personnel in our Islip HAZMAT Unit, for acting quickly to prevent this crime from doing lasting harm to our environment.”
“DEC does not tolerate illegal dumping and aggressively pursues criminals damaging New York’s environment and communities,” said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos. “I’m proud DEC played a critical role in the investigation of hazardous waste illegally dumped at the former Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center and our team will continue to work with the Suffolk County District Attorney and our law enforcement partners to bring violators to justice.”
“On behalf of the New York State Office of Mental Health, we thank the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and the emergency services personnel who responded to this unfortunate incident of illegal dumping,” said Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. “In particular, we extend our sincerest appreciation to the Office of Mental Health Safety Officer whose investigation led to this arrest. The officer’s actions showed great respect for our environment and concern for the safety of the local community.”
According to the investigation, on April 23, 2023, a New York State Office of Mental Health Police Officer was patrolling the grounds of the former Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center when he observed Pulley rolling a tire out of the back of a tractor trailer in an area closed to the public. Once the officer approached, it became apparent Pulley had already unloaded multiple tires and other items, including hazardous waste that was stored in multiple large containers.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Town of Islip’s HAZMAT Unit responded to the scene and immediately began to clean up the site and collect evidence. The materials collected during the clean-up were tested and were determined to contain hazardous waste including Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, and Lead. The site has since been fully remediated, costing in-excess of thirty thousand dollars.
On August 30, 2023, Pulley was arraigned before District Court Judge, the Honorable Eric Sachs for the following charges:
- Endangering Public Health, Safety or the Environment in the Second Degree, a Class D felony;
- Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, a Class E felony;
- Unlawful Disposal of Hazardous Waste, a Class A misdemeanor; and
- Unlawful Disposal of Solid Waste, a violation.
Judge Sachs released Pulley on his own recognizance during the pendency of the case. Pulley is due back in court on September 14, 2023, and faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of the top count. He is being represented by Robert Curran Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Robert Kerr of the Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST), with investigative assistance from Environmental Conservation Officer Christopher DeRose of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Police Division and Office of Mental Health Police Officer John Decandia.
Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.
