LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - A judge has denied Lawrence developer Thomas Fritzel’s motion for acquittal after he was convicted of illegally disposing of roofing material containing asbestos.
Fritzel was convicted July 30 of three federal charges related to the failure to properly handle the debris while remodeling the Alvamar Country Club in 2016.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports Fritzel’s attorney argued in his motion the government didn’t provide sufficient evidence that the material removed from the demolition site contained the kind of asbestos that becomes airborne, or that Fritzel knowingly removed and disposed of the asbestos improperly.
U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter rejected the motion Friday. She said state health employees and sample tests provided sufficient evidence to conclude Fritzel was guilty.
Fritzel will be sentenced Nov. 13. He remains free on $50,000 bond.
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Information from: Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World, http://www.ljworld.com
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