CATSKILL, N.Y. - A Westchester County man has been arraigned in Catskill after he is alleged to have illegally disposed of raw sewage into the Catskill Creek in the Greene County hamlet of Leeds.
Following an investigation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, James Sheerin was charged with one count of discharging sewage to the waters of New York State without a permit, a felony.
The DEC says that Sheerin pumped hundreds of gallons of raw sewage from the septic tank at his three-unit rental property at 1114 Main Street in Leeds into a nearby drain which then flowed into the municipal storm water system.
Through surveillance and the execution of a search warrant, dye tests confirmed the raw sewage ultimately flowed into a popular trout stream in the Catskill Creek at the Leeds Stone Bridge about one-quarter mile from Sheerin's property.
Sheerin pleaded not guilty in Catskill Justice Court on April 5th, and has been remanded to the Green County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond.
He faces up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $75,000 per day of the violation.
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