Fourteen people – including a city man — have been charged with dumping on public lands, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Robert Cline, 53-year-old, of Paterson was captured on camera dumping a couch on the Waterloo Valley Road in Allamuchy Mountain State Park in Sussex County. He was swept up in a broader campaign to crackdown on illegal dumping on state lands called “Don’t Waste Our Open Space.”
State police over the past year investigated and filed charges against a wide variety of dumping cases including dumping of dry cleaning chemical filled drums, debris from a remodeling project, bags of household trash, a boat and trailer, car parts, and hazardous chemicals.
“Protecting our pristine lands and recreational properties from illegal dumping remains a major priority for the Christie Administration,” Bob Martin, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said on Friday. “We will continue to commit resources to this program, prosecute violators to the fullest extent of the law, and educate the public about the consequences of illegal dumping.”
Authorities have been using technology to go after illegal dumpers. State police and conservation officers are helped by well-placed motion senor cameras in select state parks and wildlife management areas.
Other 13 people charged are as follows:
- Timothy Liesch, 29, of Readington Township pleaded guilty to dumping debris from a remodeling project at the South Branch Wildlife Management Area in Hunterdon County in July 2016. He paid $1,500 fine and $1,064 in restitution for debris removal.
- Anthony Bumbolo, 28, of Stockholm pleaded guilty to dumping several bags of household trash and debris on Sparta Mountain in Ogdensburg and on Hamburg Mountain in Hardyston, both in Sussex County, in April 2016. He paid $2,000 in fines.
- Joseph Lewis, 43, of Monroe Township has been charged with dumping refuse on a wildlife management area that caused damage to vegetation. He also allegedly dumped solid waste on state property and property after conservation officers found a trash pile in the Winslow Wildlife Management Area that had originated at a federal park site in Philadelphia. His case is pending.
- Thomas M. Smith, 20, of Stillwater Township pleaded guilty to dumping a boat and trailer at the Paulinskill River Wildlife Management Area in Hampton Township in August 2016. He paid $1,500 in fine and $500 in restitution for removal and disposal of the boat and trailer.
- Alex Dzyak, 23, of Columbia paid $1,000 in fine for allegedly dumping car parts and other debris at the Columbia Lake Wildlife Management Area in Knowlton Township in July 2016.
- Gilmer Castillo, 28, of Hamilton has been charged with dumping hazardous chemicals after four barrels containing tetrachloroethylene (TCE), a chemical used in dry cleaning, were discovered on the Delaware and Raritan Canal tow path on Duck Island in Hamilton Township. He faces more than $25,000 in penalties. His case is pending.
- Reginald Casterlin, 47, of Hardyston pleaded guilty to disposal of household trash on Goodale Road in Andover. He has been ordered to pay $3,099 in fines and court fees.
- Gregory Ensel, 34, of Newton pleaded guilty to dumping household debris near Old Stuyvesant Road within Allamuchy Mountain State Park. He has been ordered to pay $700 in fines and serve 90 days of community service.
- Emmanuel Rodriguez, 22, of Clementon was fined $1,000 for dumping a pile of debris that was four feet tall and spread over 12 feet in New Jersey’s Wharton State Forest in January 2016.
- Michael Gallagher, 20, of Mount Olive Township pleaded guilty to dumping a motor vehicle on Waterloo Valley Road in the township in May 2016. He paid $133 in fines and removed the vehicle.
- Joseph Lane, 28, of Pemberton has been charged with dumping a pop-up camper off Mount Misery Road in Brendan Byrne State Forest in May 2016. State Park Police traced the camper to its previous owner in Brick, who told detectives he sold the camper to Lane. Lane admitted owning the camper. The case is pending, according to the state.
- Randall Hutchinson, Jr., 29, of Mine Hill was ordered to pay $1,098 in fees, work 300 hours of community service and serve three years of probation for extensive illegal dumping in October 2015 at Stokes State Forest in Sussex County. He will undergo random drug tests. He faces 90-day jail sentence.
- Garrett Bullock, 54, of Browns Mills has been charged with dumping a boat in the Whites Boggs area of Brendan Byrne State Forest. His case is pending.
“The men and women of the State Park Police work each day to ensure the safety of visitors to our parks and preservation of the places that attract them there,” said Terri Genardi, State Park Police chief, said. “We welcome the additional eyes, ears and voices that our visitors provide to assist us in this important endeavor.”
More than 130 arrests have been made in illegal dumping cases since the start of the campaign three years ago.