NEWARK, NJ — A Newark man was sentenced Feb. 10 for illegally dumping huge quantities of solid waste from his rubbish removal business at unauthorized sites underneath highways in Newark, according to a press release from Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.
Abdullah S. Bryant, 41, of Newark, who did business under various names, including International Rubbish Removal, was sentenced to three years of probation and 300 hours of community service by Superior Court Judge Mayra Tarantino in Essex County. Bryant pleaded guilty Nov. 22, 2019, to a charge of third-degree criminal mischief. The state had requested a sentence of 364 days in the county jail as a condition of probation, but the judge imposed a sentence of noncustodial probation. Bryant will be required to pay restitution for the costs of cleanups conducted at the dumping sites, in an amount to be determined in a separate court hearing.
Bryant illegally collected, transported and dumped more than 100 cubic yards of solid waste at a site owned by the New Jersey Department of Transportation underneath elevated sections of I-78 and U.S. Route 22 between Frelinghuysen Avenue and the Northeast Corridor Rail Line. He also illegally dumped an unspecified quantity of solid waste on DOT- and Amtrak-owned property located under the Route 21 overpass near Poinier Street. The illegal dumping occurred between January 2016 and April 2017.
The debris field under I-78/U.S. 22 was roughly 1,000 feet long by 500 feet wide. The debris field under Route 21 was about 1,200 feet long and 50 to 150 feet in width. The solid waste included, among other things, household items, discarded paper, construction materials, flammables, asbestos, medical waste, lead paint and other hazardous materials.
“We are committed to protecting New Jersey’s environment and the health of our residents using every tool at our disposal, including both civil actions and criminal prosecutions,” Grewal said. “It is especially important that we hold polluters accountable when they dump waste and hazardous materials in disadvantaged areas, believing that no one will care. We absolutely do care, and we are stepping up our environmental enforcement efforts statewide to crack down on such crimes.
“The judge in this case did not impose the 364-day jail sentence that we requested under the terms of the plea agreement, but Bryant is now a convicted felon who is responsible for paying restitution for the cleanups conducted at these sites,” he continued. “These are not victimless crimes; they are crimes that victimize entire communities. We intend to work even harder to ensure that polluters face justice and that all of our residents can live and work in a clean, healthy environment.”
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