Michelangelo Sentenced To Prison In Fairfield Fill Pile Case

MILFORD, CT ? In a surprising turn on Tuesday, former Fairfield public works director Joe Michelangelo, who prosecutors recommended receive probation and fines but no prison time, was sentenced to six months in prison and five years probation in the town's fill pile illegal dumping case.

Michelangelo, 63, pleaded guilty to several felonies in the case in 2022, and cooperated with the prosecution and testified against former DPW superintendent Scott Bartlett, who was also sentenced to prison in the sprawling environmental scandal.

The full sentence was eight years in prison, suspended after six months served, followed by five years of probation, during which time Michelangelo can not participate in any type of environmental remediation projects. Additionally, Michelangelo must pay $10,000 to a victims' compensation fun to help cover out-of-pocket costs for medical evaluations for DPW workers who were exposed to the toxic soil and fill material.

Last week as part of his sentencing, environmental consultant Robert Grabarek was ordered to pay $28,000 toward the same fund for testing of the workers. Grabarek avoided prison time in his sentencing, but his state environmental license will be suspended while he serves two years probation.

Superior Court Judge Kevin Russo, while acknowledging that he believes Michelangelo is a "good man," based on statements and correspondence from family, friends and former colleagues of Michelangelo, said during Tuesday's sentencing in Milford Superior Court that the defendant abused the trust of Fairfield workers and residents.

"I think a period of incarceration is appropriate," Russo said, adding that costs to the town to clean up sites with contaminated soil and fill has already approached $20 million, and will cost significantly more in the future.

Immediately after Russo issued the sentence, Michelangelo was led away in handcuffs by court marshals, as members of his family who were in attendance broke into tears. Where he will serve his sentence was not immediately available.

Michelangelo and six other defendants were accused of a large-scale illegal dumping scheme that saw thousands of pounds of toxic soil and fill dumped throughout Fairfield. Dozens of sites around town were impacted by the scheme, which lasted over a period of years.

Tests revealed that the material, much of which still sits in a huge mound near the public works facility ? referred to as the "fill pile" ? contained PCBs, arsenic and other toxic contaminants.

Following the sentencing, Michelangelo's attorney, Bridgeport-based Eugene Riccio, kept his comments brief.

"Very unfortunate situation for all concerned," Riccio told Patch.

Riccio and prosecutors had agreed in a plea deal for an eight-year prison sentence, but which would have been suspended with no incarceration served, in addition to up to $500,000 in restitution to the town. Russo's decision went against that recommendation.

Michelangelo is the last defendant to be sentenced in the case; the other sentences are as follows:

• Scott Bartlett, the town's former public works superintendent, is currently serving a five-year sentence at the Robinson Correctional Institution in Enfield, a medium-security facility. He was sentenced twice, once for the Owen Fish Pond portion, and the second for the main component of the case. Those sentences are running concurrently. He also owes the town $1 million in restitution. He is paying the town more than $4,000 per month; the amount is half of his monthly pension payments.
• Robert Mayer, the town's former CFO, pleaded guilty in October, but avoided prison time; he received an 18-month suspended sentence and three years of probation.
• Developer Jason Julian was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and is serving time at Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution (in the Cybulski Community Reintegration Center) in Somers. He also owes the town a total of $2.5 million in restitution; he has paid more than half so far.
• Brian Carey, the town's interim public works director, and Emmet Hibson, the town's former human resources director, were recently granted accelerated rehabilitation. They each must complete 240 hours of community service, and each pay the town a little over $28,000 in restitution.

Fairfield fill pile case

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• 2nd Fairfield Fill Pile Defendant Reportedly Rejects Plea Deal
• Fairfield's Years-Long Fill Pile Saga Continues With New Arrests
• 'Don't Talk To The Police': Details From Fill Pile Affidavits
• Ex-First Selectman Among Fill Pile 'Co-Conspirators,' Records Say
• 4 Fairfield Fill Pile Scandal Defendants Denied Probation
• Fairfield Residents Encouraged To Write Fill Victim Statements
• Fill Pile: Penfield Pavilion Repair, Remediation Could Cost $13M
• 3 More Charged In Fairfield Fill Pile Contamination Investigation