Checking qualifications?

[Guest guest]

We wonder why we must listen to those they tell the World that a little

bleach and water will remove our Toxic Molds in our homes and schools. This guy

is probably one of those that spreads these types of mistruths. This just goes

to show that our Government looks for the cheapest way out when dealing with

Toxic Mold. It also shows that they don't even check out qualifications of

those they hire.

I wonder how many children and staff are sick from the Toxic Mold or the

chemicals this guy used? The sound you hear are the parents of those injured by

this Government screw up screaming for justice for their Children. Time to

pay up Connecticut.

Sadly, a few years ago I asked US Senator Joe Lieberman to file Toxic Mold

Legislation that I had sent him. Thsi would have prevented people like this

from preying upon Children and the Public. Say you're sorry Joe!

Ken Moulton

Born and raised in Connecticut.

Mold Treatment Leads To Court

Man Accused Of Fraud, Faces Prison And Fines

By LYNNE TUOHY

Courant Staff Writer

July 16 2004

NEW HAVEN -- To school officials in Bristol, Manchester and Easton - all

concerned about air quality and mold in their public schools - Schongar

must have seemed a godsend.

He said he had a doctorate, and that his mold remediation company had a

grant from the National Center for Environmental Research and Quality Assurance,

and that he was involved in research for the federal Environmental Protection

Agency.

They paid him to heal their schools.

But after he treated their schools, students and staff still were getting

sick. In fact, the symptoms seemed to grow to include rashes and vomiting,

officials said. Scrutiny of his services intensified, bringing Schongar to a

federal courtroom Thursday on charges of fraud and violation of federal

environmental standards.

The laboratory reports he generated before he " treated " the schools and the

ones he produced after, federal prosecutors and investigators allege, were

all made up.

What remains uncomfortably uncertain is what chemicals he actually did spray

in the schools in question, officials say. The investigation is ongoing, and

is expected to spread to other states where Schongar did business under a

variety of company names, favoring Microb Phase, Microb Phase Environmental,

Microb Phase Laboratory and Mold Away.

" It boils down to a well-orchestrated effort to play on people's fears, and

to exploit people's fears for personal gain, " U.S. Attorney O'Connor

said.

Schongar, 57, who lives in Clifton Park, N.Y., surrendered to federal

authorities Thursday on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud and violating the

Federal Insecticides, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The investigation into his

conduct began in Easton, which might explain the uniformed contingent of Easton

officers - Chief Jack among them - who filled a bench at Schongar's

court proceeding Thursday.

There's no question the Staples Elementary School had a problem

before Schongar came on the scene, but it persisted long after he left.

" Schongar claims the mold went away " after his treatments, said. " We

have two other consultants who debate that. " The school system paid Schongar

about $3,000 to $4,000 for his work, the police chief said.

said Schongar's arrest sends an important message. " People who

commit environmental crimes are going to get caught, particularly when it's in

our

schools and affects our children and the staff. "

Schongar was released on a $50,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to

return to court Aug. 4. One condition of his bond is that he not engage in any

mold remediation services.

Federal EPA Agent Leonard Borges, who investigated the case and filed the

affidavit leading to Schongar's arrest, stated in court documents that

Schongar's transgressions included misrepresentations to the schools that hired

him

that the products he used were registered with and approved by the FDA.

His misrepresentations were made in Manchester to officials overseeing

projects at three elementary schools - Bowers, Highland Park and Keeney.

Bristol

also hired Schongar to do remediation work on three elementary schools - Green

Hills, Northeast and O'Connell. He would, prosecutors allege, submit

fraudulent lab reports that contained high counts of microbials before any work

was

done, and then submit equally fraudulent lab reports after completion of the

work indicating the problem had been solved.

Schongar also has a bit of a spelling problem, according to Borges'

affidavit.

Searches of his house and storage area produced fraudulent diplomas

indicating Schongar had an engineering degree from American University in

Heidelberg,

Germany. But the name of the city was misspelled " Heidleburg. " Also found

were reference letters and certifications Borges said he believed were

fabricated.

When Easton school officials wanted documentation of the products he used at

Staples Elementary School, Schongar allegedly falsified a technical

bulletin for another EPA-approved product, substituting the name of his product

-

Microb Shield.

Schongar faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the

fraud counts, and up to a year in prison on the environmental count.