Tuesday, January 8, 2013
This blog is about a man by the name of Guy Hylton and he was the city
manager here in Elk City, Oklahoma for 16 years until he had to resign.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2006 for exposing a group
of inmates to asbestos in an old railroad depot and he also lied to
officials about the warnings he received about the danger of the
asbestos. He served 6 months in a federal prison in 2009 and about a
year after he was released he became the city manager of our county
seat in Sayre, Oklahoma.
On the right hand side of this blog I've added dozens of links to news articles starting in 2006 and there should've been a followup story when he got the job in Sayre. I'm going to gather as many facts as I can about what has happened and quite a few people know details that need to be added to this story. It's going to be impossible to verify everything in this blog and prove it beyond a reasonable doubt so I will leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions on certain subjects.
I'm looking for details about anything Hylton was involved in while he was the mayor and city manager or even since then including lawsuits that were filed against him, any kind of corruption, things that were swept under the rug by him and his buddies in the good old boy system, buying properties out of his own pocket to use as rent houses after he condemned the houses, using city equipment and/or workers on his properties, basically anything that seems shady or questionable.
Since the year 2000 more workers have died from asbestos disease than any other workplace injury and it's so scary that everyday at least 27 American citizens die from an asbestos related illness. It's outrageous how Hylton treated those inmates like they were expendable and to him it was "no big deal." It's time to take a stand and stop some of the nonsense in this area by speaking up. Ask around and someone you know might have valuble details to add to this story. Everyone can do something to make this a better place and email me at mafiabustersareus@gmail.com
***IF YOU HAVE INFO ABOUT ANY OF THIS OR OTHER THINGS GUY DID PLEASE EMAIL ME AND I WILL PROTECT THE IDENTITY OF THOSE WHO WANT TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS***
On the right hand side of this blog I've added dozens of links to news articles starting in 2006 and there should've been a followup story when he got the job in Sayre. I'm going to gather as many facts as I can about what has happened and quite a few people know details that need to be added to this story. It's going to be impossible to verify everything in this blog and prove it beyond a reasonable doubt so I will leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions on certain subjects.
I'm looking for details about anything Hylton was involved in while he was the mayor and city manager or even since then including lawsuits that were filed against him, any kind of corruption, things that were swept under the rug by him and his buddies in the good old boy system, buying properties out of his own pocket to use as rent houses after he condemned the houses, using city equipment and/or workers on his properties, basically anything that seems shady or questionable.
Since the year 2000 more workers have died from asbestos disease than any other workplace injury and it's so scary that everyday at least 27 American citizens die from an asbestos related illness. It's outrageous how Hylton treated those inmates like they were expendable and to him it was "no big deal." It's time to take a stand and stop some of the nonsense in this area by speaking up. Ask around and someone you know might have valuble details to add to this story. Everyone can do something to make this a better place and email me at mafiabustersareus@gmail.com
***IF YOU HAVE INFO ABOUT ANY OF THIS OR OTHER THINGS GUY DID PLEASE EMAIL ME AND I WILL PROTECT THE IDENTITY OF THOSE WHO WANT TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS***
THE OFFICIAL STORY
The following information came from news articles that were written when this scandal first started in 2006 and the links are on the right side of this blog. There's a lot of details the public was never made aware of and what has happened since Hylton was released from prison needs to be covered by the news media. Hylton got away with a lot of things that need to be documented and many people were afraid of him.
INDICTMENTS DEC. 2006
Guy Hylton and Chick Arther Little were indicted in December of 2006 by a federal grand jury in Oklahoma City for improperly using inmates from the Elk City work center to renovate a building in January of 2003 that contained asbestos insulation. This occurred at an old railroad depot the City of Elk City had purchased and inmates from the work center are used by the city for many types of labor.
The indictment also included charges for improperly disposing of the asbestos insulation that was removed from the depot and it was dumped at a site that didn't have a permit to handle such waste. According to the indictment the two men lied to the Department of Environmental Quality about the incident and Hylton filed a report with the state in June of 2003, two months before Little spoke to investigators about it.
In December of 2006 Mayor Teresa Mullican announced that the city was going to pay for the legal defense for Hylton and Little stating "Mr. Hylton is one of the most outstanding city managers in Oklahoma and Mr. Little has served the city faithfully." When Hylton was asked about the charges he said his attorney Mack Martin wouldn't let him comment and he denied any guilt.
TRIAL BEGINS AUG 2007
U.S. Prosecutors claimed the two men knowingly put the inmates in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury and later tried to cover it up with false statements. In August 2007 a physician by the name of Robert Sawyer testified for the two defendants and he's also an occupational and preventive medicine specialist.
Sawyer said the inmates received high doses of asbestos, but the duration of the exposure was not enough to cause serious bodily harm. He also said "there isn't much risk here at all and it's not a big deal." However Christopher Weis, a toxicologist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, testified the inmates could have been exposed to millions of asbestos fibers a day by inhaling dust during the renovation project.
Inhalation of these fibers could lead to lung diseases such as fibrosis and mesothelioma. The inmates used in the depot were from an eight man project crew and an official from the state operated Elk City work center said the asbestos issue first surfaced when an inmate on the crew approached them with concerns. Kenneth Martin, who oversees the center and its 90 inmates, said the inmate said he felt like he was working in a place where he shouldn't have been because of asbestos.
Martin said he immediately went to the construction supervisor Chick Little and told him they didn't allow any of the workers in a place where they might even suspect asbestos. The crew was pulled off the job after a week, State Corrections Department spokesman Jerry Massie said. Inmates complained afterward of rashes and flu and pneumonia like symptoms. The physician testifying for the defense said the rash could have been caused by "nuisance dust" that was located in the terminal insulation in the historic building and not necessarily caused by asbestos exposure.
The federal grand jury acquitted Guy Hylton of felony charges, but convicted him of a misdemeanor count of endangerment. Little was also convicted of a lesser charge for the endangerment, but was found guilty of one felony count of lying to officials about the asbestos being properly disposed of in a permitted land fill. Both men were found not guilty of illegally disposing of hazardous waste. Granta Nakayama,who is the EPA's assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance, said " all people deserve protection from exposure to environmental hazards and these officials used prisoners to remove cancer causing asbestos without protective equipment."
John C. Richter, who is a United States Attorney for the western District of Oklahoma, said "these senior city officials held a sacred public trust to ensure that the laws established to protect the people they serve were followed. Instead as a jury found, they neglected their duty when they allowed the public to be exposed to danger by the release of hazardous asbestos and took advantage of inmate labor by sending them to work in the depot without protection. Cases like this one are central to the Department of Justice's efforts to vigorously enforce our environmental laws that are designed to protect each and every citizen, no matter their station in life."
Hylton faced up to one year in prison plus a fine up to one hundred thousand dollars. Little faced up to five years in prison plus a fine of up to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This case was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, and the Department of Environmental Quality. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S.Attorney's Randy Sengel and Nick Lillard.
Hylton's attorney Mack Martin said jurors likely opted not to convict the two men of the most serious charges against them after hearing the expert witness testify that there was only a low risk of injury for the inmates who were exposed to asbestos while working in the depot. Martin also said Hylton was pleased with the verdict and is looking forward to returning to work in Elk City now the trial is over.
SENTENCING JAN. 2008
In January of 2008 U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Hylton and Little to serve their sentences at the Federal Prison Camp in Big Spring, Texas. Heaton said that Hylton ignored the warnings noting that witnesses testified they had warned him the old Rock Island Railroad Depot might contain asbestos. Judge Heaton commended Hylton for his dedication to public service, but also scolded him for putting inmate work crews at risk.
Heaton said there was ample proof Hylton knew or should have known the building contained asbestos. "He certainly had the authority or the responsibility to deal with those issues,” the judge said, rejecting Hylton's plea for lenience. Judge Heaton, in explaining his decision to assess prison time for a misdemeanor,was quoted as saying he had concluded that Hylton lied on the witness stand about whether he was aware there was asbestos in the depot while the inmates were working. “I think that cuts very strongly against the idea that someone should simply receive a probationary sentence after having taken the stand and lied,”
Prosecutor Randy Sengel said "Hylton ignored all the warnings, opting not to seek a $25 test to confirm whether the building's insulation contained asbestos. He just didn't care." Sengel explained. Hylton's attorney,Mack Martin, said they were going to pursue an appeal. "We look forward to a vindication in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver” Martin said.
Hylton was sentenced to six months and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine. Little was sentenced to eight months in prison, serve two years of supervised release upon release from prison and perform 104 hours of community service in lieu of a fine. "These prison sentences should send a strong message of deterrence to public officials regarding the need to obey our environmental laws,” U.S. Attorney John Richter said in a news release.
The city commission called a special meeting to discuss whether to fire Hylton or to accept his resignation. After a two-hour, closed-door session the council took no action, leaving Hylton's employment status intact, along with building supervisor Chick Little. Hylton declined to comment on the vote but his attorney, Mack Martin, said if city officials intended to fire Hylton, they should have done so when he was convicted in August.
APPEAL FAILS FEB. 2009
In February 2009 the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued orders and judgments affirming their convictions and sentences. As a result of the failed appeal and his looming prison sentence, Guy Hylton resigned as Elk City’s Manager effective February 16, 2009. Chick Arthur Little was ordered to report to the Federal Prison Camp in Big Spring on Friday, February 20, 2009, and Guy Hylton has been ordered to report to the same facility on Friday, March 6, 2009.
“EPA will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s environmental laws through a strong enforcement program,” said Warren Amburn EPA Special Agent in charge. “We must hold those accountable who endanger others and lie to federal officials to cover up their misconduct.”
INDICTMENTS DEC. 2006
Guy Hylton and Chick Arther Little were indicted in December of 2006 by a federal grand jury in Oklahoma City for improperly using inmates from the Elk City work center to renovate a building in January of 2003 that contained asbestos insulation. This occurred at an old railroad depot the City of Elk City had purchased and inmates from the work center are used by the city for many types of labor.
The indictment also included charges for improperly disposing of the asbestos insulation that was removed from the depot and it was dumped at a site that didn't have a permit to handle such waste. According to the indictment the two men lied to the Department of Environmental Quality about the incident and Hylton filed a report with the state in June of 2003, two months before Little spoke to investigators about it.
In December of 2006 Mayor Teresa Mullican announced that the city was going to pay for the legal defense for Hylton and Little stating "Mr. Hylton is one of the most outstanding city managers in Oklahoma and Mr. Little has served the city faithfully." When Hylton was asked about the charges he said his attorney Mack Martin wouldn't let him comment and he denied any guilt.
TRIAL BEGINS AUG 2007
U.S. Prosecutors claimed the two men knowingly put the inmates in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury and later tried to cover it up with false statements. In August 2007 a physician by the name of Robert Sawyer testified for the two defendants and he's also an occupational and preventive medicine specialist.
Sawyer said the inmates received high doses of asbestos, but the duration of the exposure was not enough to cause serious bodily harm. He also said "there isn't much risk here at all and it's not a big deal." However Christopher Weis, a toxicologist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, testified the inmates could have been exposed to millions of asbestos fibers a day by inhaling dust during the renovation project.
Inhalation of these fibers could lead to lung diseases such as fibrosis and mesothelioma. The inmates used in the depot were from an eight man project crew and an official from the state operated Elk City work center said the asbestos issue first surfaced when an inmate on the crew approached them with concerns. Kenneth Martin, who oversees the center and its 90 inmates, said the inmate said he felt like he was working in a place where he shouldn't have been because of asbestos.
Martin said he immediately went to the construction supervisor Chick Little and told him they didn't allow any of the workers in a place where they might even suspect asbestos. The crew was pulled off the job after a week, State Corrections Department spokesman Jerry Massie said. Inmates complained afterward of rashes and flu and pneumonia like symptoms. The physician testifying for the defense said the rash could have been caused by "nuisance dust" that was located in the terminal insulation in the historic building and not necessarily caused by asbestos exposure.
The federal grand jury acquitted Guy Hylton of felony charges, but convicted him of a misdemeanor count of endangerment. Little was also convicted of a lesser charge for the endangerment, but was found guilty of one felony count of lying to officials about the asbestos being properly disposed of in a permitted land fill. Both men were found not guilty of illegally disposing of hazardous waste. Granta Nakayama,who is the EPA's assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance, said " all people deserve protection from exposure to environmental hazards and these officials used prisoners to remove cancer causing asbestos without protective equipment."
John C. Richter, who is a United States Attorney for the western District of Oklahoma, said "these senior city officials held a sacred public trust to ensure that the laws established to protect the people they serve were followed. Instead as a jury found, they neglected their duty when they allowed the public to be exposed to danger by the release of hazardous asbestos and took advantage of inmate labor by sending them to work in the depot without protection. Cases like this one are central to the Department of Justice's efforts to vigorously enforce our environmental laws that are designed to protect each and every citizen, no matter their station in life."
Hylton faced up to one year in prison plus a fine up to one hundred thousand dollars. Little faced up to five years in prison plus a fine of up to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This case was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, and the Department of Environmental Quality. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S.Attorney's Randy Sengel and Nick Lillard.
Hylton's attorney Mack Martin said jurors likely opted not to convict the two men of the most serious charges against them after hearing the expert witness testify that there was only a low risk of injury for the inmates who were exposed to asbestos while working in the depot. Martin also said Hylton was pleased with the verdict and is looking forward to returning to work in Elk City now the trial is over.
SENTENCING JAN. 2008
In January of 2008 U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Hylton and Little to serve their sentences at the Federal Prison Camp in Big Spring, Texas. Heaton said that Hylton ignored the warnings noting that witnesses testified they had warned him the old Rock Island Railroad Depot might contain asbestos. Judge Heaton commended Hylton for his dedication to public service, but also scolded him for putting inmate work crews at risk.
Heaton said there was ample proof Hylton knew or should have known the building contained asbestos. "He certainly had the authority or the responsibility to deal with those issues,” the judge said, rejecting Hylton's plea for lenience. Judge Heaton, in explaining his decision to assess prison time for a misdemeanor,was quoted as saying he had concluded that Hylton lied on the witness stand about whether he was aware there was asbestos in the depot while the inmates were working. “I think that cuts very strongly against the idea that someone should simply receive a probationary sentence after having taken the stand and lied,”
Prosecutor Randy Sengel said "Hylton ignored all the warnings, opting not to seek a $25 test to confirm whether the building's insulation contained asbestos. He just didn't care." Sengel explained. Hylton's attorney,Mack Martin, said they were going to pursue an appeal. "We look forward to a vindication in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver” Martin said.
Hylton was sentenced to six months and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine. Little was sentenced to eight months in prison, serve two years of supervised release upon release from prison and perform 104 hours of community service in lieu of a fine. "These prison sentences should send a strong message of deterrence to public officials regarding the need to obey our environmental laws,” U.S. Attorney John Richter said in a news release.
The city commission called a special meeting to discuss whether to fire Hylton or to accept his resignation. After a two-hour, closed-door session the council took no action, leaving Hylton's employment status intact, along with building supervisor Chick Little. Hylton declined to comment on the vote but his attorney, Mack Martin, said if city officials intended to fire Hylton, they should have done so when he was convicted in August.
APPEAL FAILS FEB. 2009
In February 2009 the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued orders and judgments affirming their convictions and sentences. As a result of the failed appeal and his looming prison sentence, Guy Hylton resigned as Elk City’s Manager effective February 16, 2009. Chick Arthur Little was ordered to report to the Federal Prison Camp in Big Spring on Friday, February 20, 2009, and Guy Hylton has been ordered to report to the same facility on Friday, March 6, 2009.
“EPA will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s environmental laws through a strong enforcement program,” said Warren Amburn EPA Special Agent in charge. “We must hold those accountable who endanger others and lie to federal officials to cover up their misconduct.”
When Hylton was released from prison in September of 2009 he went to work at Paul Jones Drug on Main Street and I'm not sure how long he worked there. Supposedly a position was being saved for him at the Pioneer Center which is the new high school and the job was a supervisor position. Several people were saying he might be hired at the Beckham County Health Department as a district supervisor or possibly at the local hospital since he has many connections there, but I think people trying to help were worried about the attention of the scandal.
Hylton definitely has influential friends that were more than willing to help him and I'm certain some very powerful people did help him. Near the end of 2009 he went to work at Weatherly RCA on Broadway for a while before getting some kind of a management position at Troy Jones Equipment on Main Street. He became the City Manager of Sayre, Oklahoma in late 2010 and the public deserves to know more about everything that has happened since very few details were ever made available about him receiving this position.
Hylton definitely has influential friends that were more than willing to help him and I'm certain some very powerful people did help him. Near the end of 2009 he went to work at Weatherly RCA on Broadway for a while before getting some kind of a management position at Troy Jones Equipment on Main Street. He became the City Manager of Sayre, Oklahoma in late 2010 and the public deserves to know more about everything that has happened since very few details were ever made available about him receiving this position.
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