While many environmental violations usually subject the individual or corporation responsible to fines and other civil liability, certain willful or negligent violations can carry criminal sanctions, including prison sentences. For example, the Clean Water Act provides for up to three years in prison for anyone who willfully discharges harmful quantities of oil into certain U.S. Waters. The CWA also provides that any person who knowingly falsifies a required report can be imprisoned for up to two years. Additionally, other federal statutes prohibiting conspiracy and falsification of reports to the federal government also apply to environmental violations.

Federal environmental crimes are very complex and require a lawyer with special knowledge. This type of case is vastly different from the cases handled by the average federal criminal defense lawyer in New Jersey, and it often requires large amounts of highly technical or scientific evidence. Therefore, if the EPA is investigating you or your business for environmental crimes, consult a New Jersey federal criminal defense lawyer at Arseneault & Fassett, LLC immediately.

Our white-collar crime lawyers in New Jersey have experience in the complex and ever-evolving area of environmental crimes. Our firm works with well-qualified and respected scientific experts and investigators who can provide the highly technical evidence that is often necessary in environmental cases. We understand the harm that environmental charges can have on your reputation and the reputation of your business. That is why our criminal defense lawyers not only build strong defenses for our clients, but also aggressively defend their reputations.