Albania Deleon, age 39, owner of Environmental Compliance Training in Methuen, MA was convicted on Wednesday after she provided “hundreds” of illegal immigrants with fake certificates and sent them out to various asbestos abatement jobs.
Deleon allegedly failed to properly train the individuals and sold them false certifications before sending them out to conduct asbestos removal at a number of job sites across the state of Massachusetts.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan told media that not only did Deleon exploit migrant workers, but she also endangered the health of hundreds of state residents by failing to train her employees in safe asbestos abatement practices. If removed improperly, asbestos can become airborne and be inhaled and may eventually cause mesothelioma, (often referred to as asbestos cancer) a fatal disease that has no known cure.
Deleon could spend well over 20 years in prison if convicted. She will be sentenced on February 17th.
Deleon’s story is not the first of its kind. A number of asbestos abatement professionals have been convicted of providing false licensure and certification in recent months. Authorities state that the only way to ensure that an asbestos abatement technician holds valid certification is to check with local and state authorities.
Mesothelioma.com denounces the use of false certification by asbestos abatement professionals and urges all individuals to do a thorough background check with the appropriate authorities before hiring an asbestos abatement professional.
Mesothelioma.com is a leading web resource for information about mesothelioma cancer. For more information, please visit www.mesothelioma.com.
