EPA Hunts Fugitive in Massachusett Asbestos Case

"Days before she was to be sentenced for one of the country's most egregious environmental crimes, North Andover resident Albania Deleon begged for the court's mercy. ...

Then the 39-year-old mother sawed off her ankle monitor and disappeared into a cool March day, becoming one of the US Environmental Protection Agency's most wanted fugitives.

Deleon left behind not only her 3-year-old son, but hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who face a heightened risk of lung cancer because of her crimes.

Deleon operated New England's largest asbestos removal training school out of an attractive downtown Methuen storefront from 2001 to 2007. But training was a misnomer: Instead, Deleon and her assistants would often simply sell, for $400, certificates saying the holder was qualified to remove insulation, flooring, and other construction material containing deadly asbestos fibers."

Beth Daley reports for the Boston Globe May 17, 2009.