Man Pleads Guilty To Dumping Waste In D.C. River

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A man who managed a company hired to clean the National Mall storm water sewer system has pleaded guilty to dumping debris and wastewater into the Potomac River.

Patrick Brightwell of Bogart, Georgia, pleaded guilty Thursday. He acknowledged as part of a plea deal that he directed workers to dump waste into the Potomac rather than taking it to a disposal facility.

Brightwell pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act by knowingly discharging a pollutant without a permit and presenting false claims to the United States.

Under federal guidelines Brightwell faces about four to five years in prison when he is sentenced Sept. 3. He has also agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution. His lawyer did not immediately return a telephone call requesting comment.

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