Herkimer County man found guilty of illegal dumping

MINDEN, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Herkimer County man was found guilty of illegally disposing of garbage on private property in Minden. The suspect was fined $2,000. The complainant property owner will receive $500 for restitution and damages.

Environmental Conservation Officer Willson launched an investigation into illegal dumping in October 2022. ECO Willson located several garbage bags with information that led back to an address in Herkimer County.

ECO Willson interviewed an individual at the residence. The man claimed that he had cleaned out garbage from his girlfriend's new home but had properly disposed of the trash. ECO Willson told the individual that the trash was illegally dumped in Minden.

The subject then changed his tune and claimed that a friend took the trash. When asked for the friend's contact information, he claimed a "friend of a friend" had taken the garbage. Since there was no contact information for the "friends" mentioned, ECO Willson ticketed the subject for illegal disposal of solid waste.

The subject was allowed to clean up the garbage in exchange for consideration from the court. The subject failed to do so and did not appear in court on multiple scheduled appearance dates. Ultimately, the subject pleaded not guilty but was found guilty in a trial.