Albania Deleon, an “environmental fugitive” sought by federal authorities since fleeing her federal sentencing hearing just over 19 months ago, has been captured in the Dominican Republic.
As the Associated Press reports, Deleon, former president of an asbestos-removal training school in Methuen, Mass., was convicted by a jury in November, 2008, for selling course completion certificates to hundreds of illegal immigrants and other workers who had not, in fact, taken a required asbsestos removal course. She ran her school, known as Environmental Compliance Training, from roughly 2001 through 2006.
Dominican law enforcement authorities, working with the U.S. States Marshals Service, on Saturday arrested Deleon, 41, who had disguised herself and assumed a false identity, according to an Environmental Protection Agency news release. She was the first woman ever named to the EPA’s fugitive list.
Prosecutors also said workers with bogus training certificates were sent to asbestos demolition sites through a temporary employment agency run by Deleon and were paid under the table for their service, as a way for her to evade more than $1 million dollars in tax and insurance payments.
In all, Deleon was convicted on one count each of conspiracy to make false statements, to encourage illegal aliens to reside in the U.S. and to hire illegal aliens; five counts of making false statements within the EPA’s jurisdiction; 16 counts of procuring false payroll tax returns; and five counts of mail fraud. She faces sentencing of up to 20 years in prison on the mail fraud counts, and up to five years on the other counts.
Deleon fled Massachusetts on March 23, 2009, two days before she was to be sentenced. She now awaits an extradition hearing in the Dominican Republic.
