Suffolk Reporter

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney has announced the arrest of Charles Weiss, 32, from Coram, and Marvin Sandoval, 28, from Ronkonkoma. The two men are charged with violating Suffolk's Evergreen Law after allegedly dumping construction waste and household debris in a protected area within the Long Island Central Pine Barrens Region.

District Attorney Tierney stated, "Last December, I stood with the County Executive, Sheriff, and other law enforcement partners charged with protecting our environment to announce the Evergreen Initiative. The Long Island Pine Barrens are necessary to the health of our ecosystem but at the same time is incredibly fragile. I am fully committed to preserving our natural heritage and will take any and all actions necessary to deter and defend against pollution."

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine added, "Any person who is caught dumping trash or any other debris in our county parks will face the full strength of the law. I thank District Attorney Ray Tierney and the Suffolk County Park Rangers and Police Department for their dedication to protecting our parklands and communities."

The investigation revealed that on November 6, 2024, Weiss and Sandoval allegedly loaded a U-Haul box truck with various waste materials including wood furniture pieces, used paint cans, shower doors, chandeliers, styrofoam pieces, a sink, a granite countertop, tools, and multiple bags of household garbage. They then reportedly dumped these items in a remote wooded area within the Pine Barrens.

Their actions were discovered by two civilian witnesses who sifted through the debris for identifying information before contacting law enforcement. A joint investigation by several agencies identified Weiss and Sandoval as having allegedly solicited a job for cleaning up a house for $1,000 but chose illegal dumping over proper disposal.

The Evergreen Initiative was launched in December 2023 by District Attorney Tierney along with other officials including County Executive Ed Romaine and Sheriff Errol Toulon. It aims to curb illegal dumping through enhanced enforcement efforts and increased penalties.