Evergreen Reporter

The owner of a Rhode Island asbestos abatement training center has been sentenced to two years of probation for falsifying documents related to an Environmental Protection Administration (EPA)-approved training program. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom announced the sentencing.

Jose Virgilio Fernandez, who owns the Rhode Island Safety Environment Training Center, was found guilty of submitting false certifications to the Rhode Island Department of Health between 2021 and 2023. He claimed that individuals had attended and passed a required asbestos abatement course when, in reality, no one had participated in the classes.

Court documents revealed that Fernandez falsely reported that twenty individuals completed a five-day, 40-hour program during the week of May 22, 2023. The only actual attendee was an undercover EPA agent who participated for just two hours on the first day.

Under the Toxic Substances Control Act, workers involved in asbestos abatement must complete an EPA-approved training program. In Rhode Island, this is managed by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH).

Fernandez pleaded guilty on October 1, 2025, to making false statements at a federal level. U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also mandated that Fernandez undergo ethics training before resuming any activities related to asbestos abatement education.

Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams prosecuted the case with support from EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Man Chak Ng. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from RIDOH.