Indictment proceedings for the Main Street tire abandoment
The former operators of an Olney gas station were indicted and arrested on felony charges of receiving used tires for disposal in a place that was not an approved solid waste site, the indictment said.
Rosana Cruz Corwin, 42, and Mark Brandon Corwin, 41, accumulated the huge tire pile while operating the now-abandoned gas station at 301 West Main Street in or about 2019, the indictment said.
The grand jury returned a felony indictment for “illegal dumping discarding solid waste” and issued an arrest warrant and $7,500 for each of the Corwins. The couple were arrested at an address in Graham and booked at the Young County jail April 26,
Chief Dan Birbeck said.
“The Corwin tire shop has been a threeyear case that officer Hudson has been working on getting resolved. Finally, last week, the Young County grand jury returned an indictment on the matter. Mr. and Mrs. Corwin were arrested and charged with illegally dumping the tires, a state jail felony. State and federal agencies are also involved, and possible civil penalties are pending against the Corwins. The city has secured a $31K grant to reduce the burden on local taxpayers for the tire cleanup. In recent years, the city has stepped up enforcement to bring the town’s image up. Please take advantage of the citywide cleanup effort this week. Also, the city will be announcing a date and time soon when residents can bring their old tires to be disposed of for free. The message here is to follow the law regarding dumping or storing tires,” Birbeck said.
If convicted, the Corwins face six months to a year in state prison and a fine up to $10,000, said assistant district attorney Phillip Gregory.
The city recently received a $31,000 grant to clean up the tire pile - a health and safety and fire hazard - from a regional government authority. The city expects to conduct the cleanup in mid-May and is inviting Olney residents who have illegal tire stashes to dispose of them for free at the Olney Convenience Center at 5920 Olney Road.