Carleton Pulley of Bay Shore arrested for illegal dumping at former psychiatric center, Suffolk DA says

A Bay Shore man was arrested last week and charged with illegal dumping of hazardous waste and old tires at the former Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center in Brentwood, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.

Carleton Pulley, 48, was charged with endangering public health, safety or the environment, unlawful disposal of hazardous waste and other related charges, a news release said. A New York State Office of Mental Health police officer allegedly spotted Pulley on April 23 unloading hazardous waste — including multiple tires and other items— from the back of a tractor trailer in several large containers on the grounds of the former psychiatric center in an area closed to the public, the news release said.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officials and Islip Town’s hazmat team arrived at the scene afterwards and began cleaning up the site and collecting evidence, the news release said. The hazardous waste was tested and found to have arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead, according to Tierney's office. Authorities have fully remediated the site, spending more than $30,000 for cleanup.

“This defendant allegedly disposed of dangerous materials illegally in order to avoid the fees that he would have been required to pay had he disposed of them properly,” Tierney said in a statement. “Thankfully, the damage to the environment was mitigated due to the immediate discovery of the waste by law enforcement and the quick remediation by the town of Islip and the property owner.”

Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter called the dumping incident “an ugly act and a serious offense that we do not take lightly.”

Pulley was arraigned Aug. 30 at Suffolk County District Court on charges including endangering public health, safety or the environment, criminal mischief, unlawful disposal of hazardous waste and unlawful disposal of solid waste.

Pulley was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court Sept. 14, the news release said. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of the top count of endangering public health, safety or the environment, a second-degree felony, according to the news release.

Robert Curran, a Bellport attorney, is listed as representing Pulley. Curran said Monday that he served as Pulley's legal counsel at his initial appearance in court and will not be representing him in the case.

“My responsibility to defend him started and ended that day,” Curran said.

A spokeswoman for Tierney's office, Tania Lopez, said prosecuters won’t know who is representing Pulley in the case until Sept.14.