FL DEP Arrests Man for Illegal Dumping

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection law enforcement agents announced that they have arrested a man, Andrew Groff, for illegally dumping more than 1,300 pounds of debris in Lee County. Groff was charged with commercial littering, a third degree felony punishable by up to five years of imprisonment and a $5,000 fine, for illegally disposing of material while employed as a truck driver for USA Recycling.

"Mr. Groff deliberately disobeyed Florida’s environmental laws, illegally discarding more than half a ton of debris in a South Florida neighborhood," said DEP Division of Law Enforcement Director Henry Barnet. "With the help of Lee County and concerned local citizens, DEP law enforcement agents were able to quickly and efficiently solve this environmental crime."

Following a citizen tip, DEP agents worked with Lee County Code Enforcement to investigate a large pile of solid waste dumped in a Ft. Myers neighborhood. DEP discovered that the solid waste was debris from a new home construction project in the neighborhood. Initially disposed of in a dumpster, the waste fell out of the container while Groff loaded it onto his vehicle. Groff then left the site without reporting the incident or removing the debris.