All-Out Sewer owner gets 27 months for illegal sewage dumping, other crimes

TACOMA U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle on Monday sentenced All-Out Sewer and Drain owner Ray Caldwell of Longview to 27 months in prison and a $250,000 fine following Caldwells conviction on 33 felonies related to illegal sewage dumping.

Settle also ordered Caldwell to pay a special assessment fine of $3,300 and told him to participate in a moral reconation program to learn to make moral decisions.

A restitution hearing was set for 10 a.m. May 22, when the judge will decide how much Caldwell must repay the city of Longview, Cowlitz County and Three Rivers wastewater treatment plant for defrauding them. The government has recommended nearly $1 million in restitution.

Both Caldwell and his company received three years probation. In addition, the judge fined All-Out Sewer $12,800. Caldwell has four years to pay off the fines issued Monday.

I feel bad for what I have done. I didnt think I was hurting the environment, Caldwell, 60, told the judge Monday morning in the Tacoma courtroom. I do know its wrong. Id like to apologize to everyone for the embarrassment and the hurt that Ive caused, especially my daughter.

The sentence, which was considerably lighter than the 42 months in prison and $650,000 fine the government had recommended, took into account the positive contributions Caldwell had made to the community with his involvement in various charities, Settle said.

The judge acknowledged he had received numerous letters from community members touting Caldwells big heart. Although the financial donations were commendable on the surface, When one considers the source of your income was ill-gotten, it takes a little bit of the shine off of that, Settle said.

Calling the case very troubling, Settle said it was more serious than just environmental noncompliance because it involved fraud.

This is a tale of two men, Settle said, describing Caldwell as simultaneously a devoted family man and community volunteer and as a greedy businessman lacking integrity. He wondered if Caldwells letter-writing supporters fully understood that their friend had deprived public entities of money they were entitled to receive.

I want to encourage you to really level with all of these people, especially your daughter, and say, Ive had to look inside myself and say what Ive done warranted the government coming after me, and Im not an innocent man, Settle said. You knew what you were doing was wrong.

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All-Out Sewer owner gets 27 months for illegal sewage dumping, other crimes