Former Environmental Inspector Sentenced for Falsifying EPA Reports

BOSTON – A former state pesticide manufacturing facility inspector was sentenced on March 4, 2015 in U.S. District Court in Springfield for making false statements on inspection reports he submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Paul Ricco, 54, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 24 months of probation.  In November 2014, he pleaded guilty to 15 counts of making false statements.

From March 2010 through May 2012, Ricco was in charge of the Producer Establishment Inspection program at the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture where he inspected establishments that produce, sell and/or distribute pesticides.  During that time period, Ricco submitted 15 false reports of purported inspections that he never performed.  Ricco submitted the false reports to the EPA to conceal the fact that he was not performing environmental inspections which he was required to perform. Those inspections were necessary to insure that pesticide manufacturers across the state were producing and packaging pesticides safely.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office, made the announcement.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos A. López.