(HAMILTON, Ohio) — A Hamilton man who dumped hundreds of scrap tires illegally at an abandoned home and its surrounding property will spend the next two years in prison, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
“This house was completely trashed with tires stacked to the ceiling, stuffed in the shed and scattered across the yard,” Yost said. “On top of creating an eyesore and a public health concern, this guy forced taxpayers to pay the costs to clean up his mess.”
During 2016, Mark Hoskins went to nearby automotive businesses and offered to dispose of their scrap tires in exchange for payment. He then drove to an abandoned residence on Lockwood Avenue in Hamilton, where he dumped between 30 and 40 tires at a time. Investigators found almost six tons of scrap tires on the property.
Hoskins, 56, pleaded guilty on March 26 to charges of illegal transportation of scrap tires and illegal open dumping of scrap tires. Judge Noah Powers II of the Butler County Common Pleas Court sentenced him to two years in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $3,601 for cleanup and investigative costs.
The Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Environmental Enforcement Unit and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Special Investigations Unit conducted the investigation. Attorneys with Yost’s office prosecuted the case.