On Wednesday, March 30, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged 74-year-old Benjamin Hoover with 31 counts of Criminal Disposition of Solid Waste, a Class E Felony.
According to a probable cause statement signed by a St. Louis County Police Department detective, “Between March 29, 2019 and March 29, 2022, the defendant disposed of commercial and or residential solid waste consisting of bed mattress, pallets, trailers, derelict vehicles and other debris on parcels of property located in the City of Kinloch that is not properly designated as a solid waste disposal location.
The defendant admitted ownership of the solid waste, admitted putting it or having it put on the parcels, and has been identified as the perpetrator of the offenses.”
The range of punishment for a Class E Felony is one to four years in prison; up to one year in jail; a fine of up to $10,000; or both imprisonment and a fine.
“Many aren’t aware that Kinloch was once a thriving, beautiful community. There are many residents and area leaders who are invested in working to revitalize this historic community. Those who choose to illegally dump all kinds of trash and hazardous waste will be held accountable,” said St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell. “We have laws designed to keep people from turning our communities into trash dumps, and I will enforce the callous disregard of these laws. This community deserves better.”
