As Fairfield's Fill Pile Case Winds Down, An Update On The Defendants

FAIRFIELD, CT — On Monday, environmental contractor Robert Grabarek was denied accelerated rehabilitation in connection with the Fairfield fill pile illegal dumping and corruption scandal, and as a result he will stand trial in the case.

If Grabarek had been granted the special probation offering, his charges would have been dismissed upon successful completion of the two-year program. His trial date has not yet been set; among the charges he faces are failure to follow waste management regulations and knowingly disposing of PCBs.

"Mr. Grabarek's actions undermined trust in the credibility of Licensed Environmental Professionals," Fairfield First Selectman Bill Gerber told Patch on Tuesday. In addition to facing criminal charges, Grabarek is also being sued by the town.

A total of seven people — five former Fairfield officials, Grabarek and another contractor — were arrested in connection with the sprawling, years-long fill pile case, in which tons of contaminated fill material was illegally dumped throughout Fairfield. The environmental cleanup is costing the town millions of dollars.

Below is an update on where the other six cases stand:

• Scott Bartlett, the town's former public works superintendent, is currently serving a five-year sentence at the Robinson Correctional Institution in Enfield, a medium-security facility. He was sentenced twice, once for the Owen Fish Pond portion, and the second for the main component of the case. Those sentences are running concurrently. He also owes the town $1 million in restitution. He is paying the town more than $4,000 per month; the amount is half of his monthly pension payments.
• Joe Michelangelo, Fairfield's former public works director, pleaded guilty to several charges and testified against the others in the case. He is free on a promise to appear in court, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 7.
• Robert Mayer, the town's former CFO, pleaded guilty in October, but avoided prison time; he received an 18-month suspended sentence and three years of probation.
• Developer Jason Julian was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and is serving time at Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution (in the Cybulski Community Reintegration Center) in Somers. He also owes the town a total of $2.5 million in restitution; he has paid $1.5 million so far.
• Brian Carey, the town's interim public works director, and Emmet Hibson, the town's former human resources director, were recently granted accelerated rehabilitation. They each must complete 240 hours of community service, and each pay the town a little over $28,000 in restitution.

Fairfield fill pile case

• Bribery Charges Dropped Against Julian In Fairfield Fill Pile Case
• First Trial In Fairfield Fill Pile Case In Jury's Hands
• 2nd Fairfield Fill Pile Defendant Reportedly Rejects Plea Deal
• Fairfield's Years-Long Fill Pile Saga Continues With New Arrests
• 'Don't Talk To The Police': Details From Fill Pile Affidavits
• Ex-First Selectman Among Fill Pile 'Co-Conspirators,' Records Say
• 4 Fairfield Fill Pile Scandal Defendants Denied Probation
• Fairfield Residents Encouraged To Write Fill Victim Statements
• Fill Pile: Penfield Pavilion Repair, Remediation Could Cost $13M
• 3 More Charged In Fairfield Fill Pile Contamination Investigation