A Livingston County man who had asbestos removed from a Rochester warehouse without proper authorization or protection for his workers has been sentenced to two years probation and 150 hours of community service.
A federal court judge in Rochester also fined Anastasios Kolokouris $15,000 and ordered him to pay restitution to the people who were exposed to the asbestos.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says inspectors went to the building on Exchange Street after getting a complaint and found a number of people, including a 16-year-old, throwing fibrous material into a dumpster. A sample turned out to be friable asbestos. The workers had no protective gear and there were no warning signs.
When Kolokouris learned what was going on he ordered the workers not to talk with investigators and locked up the building. Â Federal agents got a search warrant and went in with protective suits, finding over 90 sacks full of asbestos.