Wayne County men plead guilty to dumping trash in forest

Two Wayne County men pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to dumping trash on federal government property.

Brian E. Todahl, 25, of Williamsville, Mo., and Kenny J. Todahl, 26, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., each pleaded guilty to one count of dumping refuse, trash, debris and/or litter on national forest land.

On March 10, an eyewitness contacted the Wayne County Sheriff's Department regarding possible criminal activity involving illegal dumping of trash. A Wayne County deputy followed up and discovered several items which the witness had described. A few of the items had identifying labels on them and the deputy was able to trace them back to the owners of the trash. The owners said they had hired the Todahls to haul away some items from their property and properly dispose of them.

Each defendant was fined $250 and ordered to remove six truckloads of trash from the dump site and show proof of proper disposal.