BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 29-year-old Bridgeport man has been indicted on a federal charge alleging he illegally transported and disposed of used oil at an abandoned Hartford property, U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan said.
Harry Batchelor Jr. was charged with the crime in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Bridgeport on July 22.
The indictment alleges that Batchelor and others transported 11 55-gallon drums containing used oil and other substances to an abandoned property at 203-205 Homestead Ave. in Hartford on or about May 12, 2025, and disposed of them there in violation of federal and state environmental laws.
The property was not an approved recycling or disposal facility for used oil, according to the indictment. The drums leaked used oil onto neighboring property at 255 Homestead Ave., which belongs to a nonprofit community organization, prompting an environmental cleanup by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Batchelor appeared in federal court in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charge. He is currently detained in federal custody for alleged violations of supervised release stemming from a prior federal conviction.
If convicted, Batchelor faces up to two years in prison.
Sullivan said the indictment is a charge and not evidence of guilt. Batchelor is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigation Division and the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General are investigating the case with assistance from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen is prosecuting the case.
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