Received two press releases from the U.S. Attorney's Office, both mentioning lead paint and Fort Harrison near Helena.  One involves a business, the other a property manager.

These two admitted to charges in court where their actions exposed Veterans and their families to toxic lead paint.

First the business.  Mold Wranglers out of Kalispell had been contracted to renovate the housing units at Freedom's Path at Fort Harrison, and the work included painting over the old lead-based coats with an encapsulating paint.  This process requires certifications and notification to the Environmental Protection Agency, neither of which Mold Wranglers met.  Between 2018 and 2019, the company applied the sealing coat "inconsistent with the paint manufacturer specifications."

The crime here is that Mold Wranglers and other entities submitted eleven Subcontractor Requisitions for Payment to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, claiming "abatement" or removal of the lead paint.  Encapsulation and Abatement are not the same process.  Evidence of intent to fraud is an email specifying to "aesthetically repair the paint and finish the homes," and to not do the extra work to properly get rid of the toxic paint.

These contractors received around $456,000 for their false "abatements" at Freedom's Path.

estate agent giving house keys to woman and sign agreement in office
Photo: Natee Meepian, Getty Images, TSM Media Center
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The Property Manager

Second comes the agent.  From September 2019 to September 2021, Melanie Ann Carlin of 406 Properties in Helena failed to disclose the existence of lead paint to low-income Veteran families who sought residency in Freedom's Path.  She signed two Request for Tenancy Approval forms for the housing units, claiming that lead-based paint disclosures didn't apply because they were constructed in 1978 or later.  She knew this was wrong.  They were built sometime between 1895 and 1905.

The toxic paint was chipping off in the housing units and Carlin continued not disclosing the fact to tenants.

In September 2021 an 18-month-old ate paint chips inside one unit, elevating her blood lead level and requiring medical treatment for poisoning.  A review of all the Freedom's Path units found lead in nearly every one.

Did Mold Wranglers and Carlin conspire to cover up the hazard?  No evidence of any contact between them.  Still, they both pled guilty to separate charges in district court.

Represented by owner Jonathan Carpenter, Mold Wranglers may pay restitution and a fine up to $500,000 for a single count of felony False Claim Act conspiracy.

Melanie Carlin faces up to 15 years in prison and a quarter million fine for one felony count of knowing endangerment.

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