John Chick, a former carpenter, pleaded guilty in January 2007 to conspiracy to violate the federal Clean Air Act. He admitted illegally removing asbestos-laden boiler parts from the county Board of Elections building in Auburn in February 2006. The boiler parts were buried in the city landfill.

There has been a delay in sentencing to allow Chick to serve his time in a facility close to Central New York; he was initially sentenced to go to a prison in Virginia - a 6 hour drive away from his home. Chick will now serve his sentence in Canaan, Pennsylvania, which is just a 3 hour drive from his home.

In his defense, Chick said that he had only been carrying out the orders of his superiors. He was the only person involved in the scandal to be jailed.

Central New York News