Dry Cleaner Owner Charged With Not Paying Environmental Fees

A Connecticut dry cleaner who is accused of failing to pay taxes connected to an environmental cleanup fund has been arrested and this is the first time the state has ever arrested a dry cleaner suspected of this offense.

State Department of Revenue Services agents arrested Laurie Maulucci, the owner of Battiston's of Avon and charged her with failing to pay the state dry cleaning surcharge tax.

Officials from the State Department of Revenue said the business owed more than $23,000 from 2012 through 2014.

The money was supposed to go to the state dry cleaning remediation fund, which helps cover the expensive decontamination of dry cleaning sites.

“This arrest results from an audit that found years and years of missed payments owed to the state. Failure to pay into the clean-up fund is also unfair to all the dry cleaning businesses that do pay the fee. It is unfortunate whenever tax enforcement results in an arrest. We will always work taxpayers who want to resolve non-compliance in good faith but we will also not hesitate to prosecute those who do not,” Kevin Sullivan, commissioner of the Department of Revenue Services, said in a statement.

Many used to use a hazardous chemical which goes deep into the soil and the fund has been a source of frustration for dry cleaners who have paid into it, but seen the balance dwindle because other dry cleaners were not paying in.

The manager on duty at Battistons said the store has no comment.

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