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Syracuse man pleads guilty to asbestos violations
A Syracuse-area man has entered a plea of guilty in an asbestos case that affects homes, schools, churches, and other buildings across the state. Frank Onoff, the former supervisor of the environmental company Paragon Environmental Construction, pleaded guilty to charges related to illegally removing asbestos across multiple residential locations and public buildings in the central New York area.
According to the U.S attorney who prosecuted Onoff, several members of the Paragon Environmental team including Onoff removed asbestos at job sites but failed to take the proper safety precautions while doing so. Because of these repeated failures to adhere to asbestos regulations, Onoff and his company may have exposed thousands of central New York residents to the deadly material when it was scattered throughout the buildings in question. Onoff was also accused of conspiring to hide his malfeasance by fabricating false lab test results.
For several decades, researchers have known that asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that may affect less than 3,000 Americans each year. This incurable form of cancer can be treated with chemotherapy, but as with all cancers, the patient's chances of survival depend on how early the cancer is detected.
The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.
Onoff will be sentenced in early 2010. He faces up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, because he has agreed to testify against other Paragon workers, the judge may be lenient on him.