James Mathis, accompanied by his wife, leaves the Federal Courthouse on Friday afternoon. Mathis, along with Donald Fillers and David Wood, is facing charges related to violations of the Clean Air Act. The 11-count indictment, which also names two associated corporations, charges the men with crimes related to asbestos removal and demolition.The defendants charged in a federal case alleging improper asbestos removal — and their jury — have all weekend to think about their pending verdict.
After two days of closing arguments from six attorneys, the jury began deliberating at about 1:30 p.m. Friday in the cases Don Fillers, James Mathis and David Wood. At 5 p.m., U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier sent the jurors home and told them to come back Monday.
Fillers, Mathis and Wood are accused of conspiring to defraud the government and violate the Clean Air Act by demolishing the Standard Coosa Thatcher plant while it still contained asbestos, leaving the block littered with dusty and contaminated debris.
In the government’s argument, U.S. Assistant Attorney Matthew Morris and Todd Gleason, attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental crimes section, told jurors the case is about greed.
“Their plan was make money,” Gleason said.