Trash Probe Nets Another Guilty Plea

Date: December 15, 2006

Source: News Room

The ongoing probe of price fixing between certain Connecticut and New York waste haulers has netted another guilty plea. Paul DiNardo, an employee of American Disposal Services of Connecticut admitted that he and others conspired to fix prices in a scheme known as the "property rights system.'' He and competitors parceled out lucrative trash routes by trading favors to place high bids or withdraw low bids to insure that the desired company would win the contract at the highest price. Others were exerted to play along. DiNardo admitted telling another carter that a "peaceful world is a better place for everybody." DiNardo is one of 29 defendants and 10 businesses indicted in June on charges after a lengthy investigation of the mob's influence over the trash industry. Prosecutors say that companies owned by James Galante paid a "mob tax'' to alleged Genovese crime family boss Matthew Ianniello as part of the property rights scheme. DiNardo faces up to 20 years in prison and afine of up to $250,000 when sentenced on March 5.

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