Former Louisiana Lab Manager Sentenced

Jennifer Alexander, former office manager for Enviro-Comp Laboratories Inc., Baton Rouge, La., was sentenced to six months home confinement and a $1,000 fine for committing perjury before a federal grand jury. The charges stem from an investigation of Enviro-Comp that sought accreditation by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to perform water tests for clients required to meet state environmental regulations under an EPA delegated program.

In 1999, while preparing for an LDEQ pre-accreditation audit, Enviro-Comp's owner, Shawn Decareaux-Kilgarlin, knowingly made false statements in Enviro-Comp's log books and certification analyses about water testing for the purpose of misleading the LDEQ auditor. In addition, she influenced Alexander to provide false information. Decareaux-Kilgarlin was convicted and was sentenced to serve one year in prison. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, LDEQ, the Louisiana Department of Justice and the Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Baton Rouge.

Source: EPA