(Rocky Hill, CT) - Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin today announced that former Fairfield Director of Public Works Joseph Michelangelo, age 63, of Fairfield, was sentenced on March 18, 2025 by the Honorable Kevin S. Russo to a total effective sentence of eight years in prison, execution suspended after six months served, and five years of probation, for multiple counts of conspiracy and environmental crimes, including the illegal disposal of hazardous materials at public property located in the town of Fairfield.
As specific conditions of the probation, Michelangelo was ordered to pay $10,000.00 to a victims’ compensation fund for medical expenses associated with the town employees’ exposure to the hazardous materials. Michelangelo also was prohibited from participating in remediation activities within the state of Connecticut.
Michelangelo pleaded guilty in November 2022 in Bridgeport Superior Court to Illegal Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Receiving Solid Waste at an Unpermitted Facility, Illegal Disposal of Asbestos, and Conspiracy to Commit the crimes of Larceny in the First Degree, Forgery in the Second Degree and various environmental offenses.
The sentencing of Michelangelo marks the completion of a lengthy prosecution of multiple offenders accused of committing environmental crimes and engaging in municipal corruption in the town of Fairfield. The following individuals have previously been convicted and sentenced:
- Scott Bartlett, former Superintendent of Fairfield Department of Public Works, sentenced to a total effective sentence of 15 years of incarceration, suspended after five years served, and five years of probation with court-ordered restitution totaling $1,000,000.00.
- Jason Julian, former owner and officer of Julian Development, sentenced to a total effective sentence of six years of incarceration, suspended after 18 months served, and three years of probation with court-ordered restitution totaling $2,500,000.00.
- Robert Grabarek, president and owner of Osprey Environmental, LLC, an engineer and contractor hired by the town of Fairfield, received a three-year suspended sentence and two years of probation. As conditions of his probation, Grabarek was ordered to pay $28,235.00 into a fund carved out to compensate victims who were town employees instructed to work at the contaminated site during the commission of Grabarek’s offenses, and provide 300 hours of community service.
- Robert Mayer, former Fairfield finance director, received a 544-day suspended sentence and three years of probation.
According to court records, Michelangelo and Bartlett allowed Julian and his businesses to operate a facility on town property whereby waste materials from construction and demolition debris and other contaminated substances, including PCBs, heavy metals and other toxic carcinogens, were illegally stockpiled, crushed, mixed and disposed of at the public works site. The contaminated material was also misused at multiple sites in Fairfield, including town beaches, ball fields and elementary school playgrounds. The criminal activities and municipal fraud and corruption occurred from 2013 through 2020.
Pursuant to a plea and cooperation agreement in 2022, Michelangelo admitted that he and other town officials participated in a pattern of activities that included a conspiracy between themselves and Julian to operate part of the public works property, which became a dumping ground for the contaminated waste materials. He also admitted to the subsequent efforts of all involved to cover up the resulting pile of waste material and to the misuse and burial of the material at town locations, including at Penfield Beach.
The state also charged and prosecuted Brian Carey, former Director of Environmental Conservation for Fairfield, and Emmet Hibson, a former human resources director in Fairfield, for their participation in crimes related to the illegal disposal of hazardous materials at Fairfield public property and its cover up. Both Carey and Hibson were granted accelerated rehabilitation by the Honorable Tracy Lee Dayton in 2024, whereby the court will dismiss their pending charges upon successful completion of a probation period which includes a restitution payment of $28,235.00
This matter was prosecuted by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Office of Chief State’s Attorney after a lengthy and in-depth investigation by the Fairfield Police Department and the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, with assistance from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Appellate Bureau of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney and the Bridgeport State's Attorney's Office.