A Massachusetts woman convicted of selling falsified asbestos abatement training certificates to illegal aliens has been declared an “environmental fugitive” after failing to appear in court.

Albania Deleon, aged 39, sold the phony certificates to hundreds of people. Authorities estimate she issued 800 of the fake documents. After being convicted, she failed to appear in court for her sentencing.

Deleon is a U.S. Citizen who was originally from the Dominican Republic. He face has now been seen on wanted posters issued by the EPA.

Deleon hand-wrote a letter to a U.S. judge pleading for mercy. The letter stated that she was “humbled, ashamed and deeply contrite,” according to court records.

However, when she did not appear at her sentencing on March 23 in Boston, authorities began searching for her. Her last known address was Salem, N.H.

Deleon was convicted of 28 counts of fraud, and was facing up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors were aiming for a 7 year sentence, according to court documents.

Deleon operated the former Environmental Compliance Training company in Methuen, Massachusetts.

If not properly removed and disposed of, asbestos particles can become airborne. If inhaled, asbestos can cause lung cancer or pleural mesothelioma, a cancer affecting the lining of the lungs.

By falsifying asbestos-removal certificates, Deleon may have put hundreds of lives at risk.

Workers who wish to remove asbestos must have training certificates in order to work in the asbestos abatement industry in Massachusetts.

Workers removing asbestos, a dangerous cancer-causing material, must have training certificates and file with the state Division of Occupational Safety to work in the industry. Deleon first sold the fake certificates to workers, and then paid employees under the table to do asbestos work via a separate temporary employment agency that she ran.

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