Plainfield Farmer Wanted on Felony Charges in Connection With Dumping Case

A Plainfield farmer is wanted on 10-count felony warrant for allegedly dumping debris on his land and into the DuPage River.

Herman Fritz, 78, faces charges of criminal disposal of waste, air pollution and water pollution. The warrant for Fritz’s arrest carries a $50,000 bond.

The warrant was issued Thursday but Fritz remains at large.

In November, prosecutors secured a civil injunction forbidding Fritz from dumping on his property. The injunction remains in effect, said Charles B. Pelkie, the spokesman for the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Pelkie said county prosecutors and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office worked together on the investigation into the alleged dumping.

“The goal is to make sure the property is cleaned up,” Pelkie said.

The criminal complaint alleges that during November and December, Fritz dumped “more than 250 cubic feet of waste,” including “dirt, landscape waste, scrap metal, cardboard, bricks, asphalt, concrete” and other debris on his Fritz Road property.

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