Ex-Fairfield public works official rejects plea deal
BRIDGEPORT – A former Fairfield official, accused of accepting bribes from a local developer to dump contaminated soil around town, turned down a plea bargain Thursday.
Scott Bartlett, who served as the town’s public works superintendent for more than 10 years, was offered a plea bargain by Superior Court Judge Kevin Russo of 15 years, suspended after he serves eight years in prison.
“My client is not going to be accepting the court’s offer and will be going to trial,” Bartlett’s lawyer, Frederick Paoletti Jr., told the judge as his client stood beside him in the courtroom.
“Do you wish to accept the offer?” the judge then asked Bartlett.
“I do not,” Bartlett replied.
Bartlett, 60, is facing multiple counts of accepting kickbacks, larceny, forgery and violating the state’s solid waste disposal laws.
He is accused of accepting bribes from local developer Jason Julian to allow Julian to dump tons of contaminated debris first on town public works’ property and later distributing that debris to town parks, playgrounds and under Penfield Pavillion.
Bartlett is charged in a separate case with larceny for allegedly stealing more than $30,000 from a disabled woman.
Bartlett is scheduled to go to trial later this month with Brian Carey, 45, the town’s former interim public works director and town conservation director, on numerous counts of illegally disposing of solid waste and violating the regulations on the disposal of solid waste.
They are accused of allowing contaminated soil dredged from Owen Fish Pond to be used to build a berm around the town’s public works site and then trying to cover up that fact.
More than 40 truckloads of debris and dirt were removed from the Stratfield Road pond during a three-week period in 2018.
Earlier this week Carey turned down a plea bargain of eight years, suspended after he would serve four years in prison and followed by probation.
In a second trial, scheduled for the summer, Carey, Bartlett, Julian, Emmet Hibson, the town’s former human resources director and Robert Mayer, Fairfield’s former chief fiscal officer, are facing charges in the larger contaminated soil, bribery case.
Mayer, is also charged with burglary, larceny and forgery charges in connection with the alleged dumping conspiracy.
Robert Grabarek, owner of Osprey Environmental Engineering in Clinton is also awaiting trial in the case as part of the alleged coverup.
Joseph Michelangelo, Fairfield’s former director of public works, previously pleaded guilty to the illegal disposal of PCPs, multiple counts of receiving solid waste at an unpermitted facility, disposal of asbestos without a permit, making false representations and conspiracy. He is expected to be a key witness for the prosecution.