A New York business owner has been convicted following charges of illegally transporting and selling unregistered pesticides in Maryland, a clear violation of federal regulations aimed at protecting public health. Idrissa Bagayoko, 58, who operates Maliba Trading LLC, was deemed guilty by a federal court in Baltimore of charges put forth under both the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Hazardous Material Transportation Act, as per announcements from U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman.
According to information presented at trial, recorded by CBS News, on September 29, 2021, Bagayoko transported two boxes of the unregistered pesticide Sniper DDVP from New York to Maryland, selling them, without proper shipping documents. This absence of documentation is a critical lapse; it jeopardizes the safety of first responders in the event of an accident by not alerting them to the presence of the dangerous chemical, dichlorvos, which the EPA has classified as a probable human carcinogen.
The legal reckoning did not stop with the initial sale. The Elkton, Maryland police stopped Bagayoko later, with 18 more boxes of Sniper DDVP, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. An ensuing investigation revealed that Bagayoko had procured a total of 1,728 bottles of Sniper DDVP intended for sale. Each of these bottles contained over 330 pounds of dichlorvos in aggregate, which Bagayoko had transported without the mandatory shipping papers.
FIFRA is in place to safeguard that all pesticides distributed in the U.S., maintain a standard of safety and effectiveness but also that they are accompanied by accurate labeling information. Complementarily, the Hazardous Material Transportation Act regulates the interstate commerce of hazardous materials, requiring proper documentation for the safety of those who may come into contact with such substances during transport. Bagayoko's actions were a direct violation of both sets of federal regulations, the illegal transport of the chemicals carrying a possible maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, while the sale of unregistered pesticides could add another year in prison, and up to a $25,000 fine.
The case was brought to close thanks to the combined efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Phillips and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kertisha Dixon and David Lastra, who prosecuted the case, alongside the investigative endeavors of Special Agent Christopher Michael with the EPA, Special Agent Charles Bradford with the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the local Elkton Police Department. For additional information on the ongoing attempts to uphold environmental safety and regulation, audiences are encouraged to visit the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office official website.
