06/16/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, USA // Tara Monks // Tara Monks
Boston, MA – A man who ran an extermination company in Everett, Massachusetts was arrested Tuesday, June 15, 2010, on allegations of using chemicals that are banned for indoor use and operating without certification, as reported by The Boston Globe.
Josimar Ferreira, a Brazilian national, was arrested by federal authorities and arraigned by U.S. Magistrate Jennifer C. Boal on charges that he violated federal law through using malathion and carbaryl, agricultural pesticides that are not for indoor use. The chemicals were used to exterminate bed bugs in Quincy, Malden, Everett and Somerville.
One case listed in court documents charges Ferreira with spraying several units in an apartment complex on Mullin Avenue last year. According to the affidavit, the tenants were unaware of the scheduled spraying set up by their landlord. At least one resident resultantly stayed with relatives outside the complex after complaining that the chemicals used to spray the complex were overwhelming.
Another resident in the complex claimed Ferreira sprayed the harsh chemicals all over her apartment, including on her 8-month-old daughter’s crib. This resident contacted Massachusetts’ Agriculture Department in December to complain about the extermination company.
Ferreira’s attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Ferreira was ordered released on his own recognizance, only to be taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shortly after.
Ferreira allegedly also maintains operations in New York and New Jersey. An anonymous complaint to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was filed in December 2009. In April, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation cited Ferreira for operating an unlicensed pesticide business. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources initially received an anonymous complaint about the company in 2009. The complaint resulted in an investigation into TVF which found Ferreira had repeatedly failed the certification test for exterminators.
Ferreira reportedly entered the United States in 1996 on a tourist visa. He has resided in Everett for approximately five years. His company, TVF Pest Control, is located on Main Street in Everett.
The maximum sentence for violating the EPA regulations is one year in jail and/or a $25,000 fine. Prosecutors stated they will not likely seek jail time. Also, deportation is on the table.
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