Trash dumping investigation reveals who did it

NOVEMBER 5 UPDATE: Dubois County Sheriff Donnie Lampert reported Brandon Huckleby admitted to dumping the trash found along County Road 900 near the Pike County line.

The case was turned over to the Sheriff’s Department in October after both parties involved denied dumping the bags. According to Lampert, Huckleby admitted to the illegal dumping during an interview with Detective Tom Kleinhelter.

In addition to this dumping Huckleby admitted to a second incident that has not been brought before the Dubois County Commissioners yet. This case has not been filed with the commissioners.

Huckleby faces a fine of up to $500 and/or community service hours. County Attorney Art Nordhoff stated if he was assigned community hours that typically lessened the amount of the fine. The commissioners can assess a fine of up to $1000 for the second offense.

“I think what you have here is a 17-year-old kid that believes it’s okay to do this type of thing because everyone is doing it,” Lampert said.

Huckleby will be called to appear before the commissioners at the next meeting to hear their decision on sentencing.

ORIGINAL STORY: The Dubois County Commissioners decided to direct the sheriff’s department to open an investigation into the dumping of 30 trash bags along a county road in June.

Monday’s hearing was the third session for what Solid Waste Management Director Toni Lubbers has called the worst case of illegal dumping she has seen in her 2½ years as director.

On June 21, Lubbers responded to the report of the illegal dumping along County Road 900 West near the Pike County line. During the clean-up Lubbers found mail addressed to Jasper resident Kimberly Gray. Gray was called to appear before the trash court in August and she admitted the trash was from an apartment she was living in. Gray also told the court that she had paid a co-worker to take the trash away.

The co-worker, Brandon Huckelby of Birdseye, appeared at trash court in September and stated he helped Kimberly move out of her apartment but didn’t have anything to do with the trash. Gray didn’t attend the September trash court but had been directed to appear with witnesses to corroborate her story from August. Gray told the court she had moved and didn’t receive the notice to appear at the September trash court.

Today, the two adamantly maintained their previous statements.

Under questioning from Commission President Larry Vollmer, Gray stated she didn’t dump the trash and implicated Huckleby. She stated she paid Huckleby $20 to haul it off to his uncle’s dump and her husband helped load the trash into a truck with Huckleby.

“I don’t even own a vehicle, I haven’t owned a vehicle in a long time,” Gray told the commissioners.

Brandon denied the allegation when questioned by Vollmer. John Huckleby, Brandon’s father, then presented an invoice for a 40 cubic yard dumpster he has and asked the commissioners to consider why Brandon would dump the trash along the road if he had access to the dumpster. He also stated Brandon doesn’t have an uncle that owns a dump.

Lubbers asked Gray why there was so much trash in the Jasper residence if they have curbside service to which Gray stated it wasn’t her trash, it belonged to her roommates.

Faced with the contradicting stories the commissioners decided to turn the case over to the sheriff’s department for investigation. Lubbers, who cleaned the trash up, showed concern that the fine through the sheriff would be a maximum of $116 for littering. County Attorney Art Nordhoff assured her that the investigation results would be turned over to the trash court for a decision. The maximum fine through trash court is $1000 or 300 hours of community service.