Mass. woman still on the run from asbestos crimes

May 27, 2009

Albania Deleon of North Andover, Massachusetts owned and ran Environmental Compliance Training (ECT), New England’s largest asbestos training school. But instead of training her students, she simply sold certificates that claimed the holder was qualified to handle asbestos work. For $400, the school would provide an asbestos abatement certificate that allowed workers to get a job doing asbestos removal—but did not actually prepare them to handle asbestos safely.

It has been estimated that more than 2,500 people—many illegal immigrants—obtained these fraudulent asbestos certificates from Deleon’s school.

After receiving their certificates, Deleon helped many of these workers to find temporary jobs in hundreds of schools, hospitals and other buildings without knowing how to keep themselves and others safe. Health officials are very concerned that the workers themselves could be at risk for developing mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease over time. In addition, these workers could bring asbestos home on their clothes and in their hair, exposing their families to asbestos as well.

Deleon was arrested in June 2007. Last November, she was convicted on a total of 28 felony counts. Deleon was wearing an ankle monitor and awaiting sentencing for her crimes when she cut off the monitor, abandoned her 3-year-old son and disappeared. Now she is on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s most wanted list.

The hunt for Albania Deleon continues.

For the full story, go to the Boston Globe.

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