Trump Pardons Portable Toilet Executive Who Illegally Dumped Raw Sewage Across California Cities

President Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to a California portable toilet company owner who admitted to illegally dumping raw sewage into city sewer systems, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. Arie Eric De Jong III, who ran Diamond Environmental Services in San Marcos, had pleaded guilty in 2017 to disposing of sludge illegally across multiple Southern California cities.

Kenneth P Vogel broke the news of the pardon, revealing that Trump cleared the 59-year-old businessman of all charges. De Jong had been sentenced to five months in federal prison in 2018, though he was released later that same year. The case centred on a scheme where De Jong's company dumped waste to avoid paying proper disposal fees, potentially saving millions of pounds.

How the Illegal Dumping Scheme Worked

Court documents paint a picture of deliberate deception. De Jong had contractors install secret hookups to sewer lines at his company's facilities in San Marcos and San Diego. Municipal sewer districts had no idea these connections existed. Workers would hide the illegal connections during inspections by simply placing a portable toilet over them.

The operation was substantial. Prosecutors said the company dumped waste across San Diego, San Marcos, Fullerton, Perris, and Huntington Park. By skipping proper disposal channels, De Jong dodged the hefty fees that legitimate operators had to pay, giving his business an unfair advantage whilst forcing cities to process waste they never authorised.

Financial Penalties That May Never Be Collected

The legal consequences went well beyond De Jong's brief prison stint. Federal Judge Roger T Benitez imposed significant financial penalties. Diamond Environmental Services faced $2.64 million (approximately £2.1 million) in fines and had to pay $2.25 million (approximately £1.8 million) in restitution to five different sanitation agencies. The company also forfeited $2.2 million (approximately £1.75 million) in profits deemed illegally obtained. The total bill came to roughly $7 million (approximately £5.6 million), with an additional $3.5 million (approximately £2.8 million) in separate fines.

There is now uncertainty about whether those financial penalties will stand. The pardon only addresses De Jong's 2017 conviction. He and his company were indicted again in 2019 for allegedly violating clean-air rules, but prosecutors dropped that case about 18 months later.

Pattern of Controversial Clemency

De Jong was not the only controversial figure Trump pardoned this week. He also granted clemency to siblings Adriana and Andres Camberos, both convicted of fraud. Adriana's case is particularly eyebrow-raising because Trump already commuted her sentence once before, on the last day of his first term in 2021, after she'd been convicted for her role in a counterfeit 5-Hour Energy drinks scheme.

Federal prosecutors in San Diego accused Adriana and her brother in 2023 of running a new fraud operation that brought in tens of millions. Trump's clemency paperwork for the Camberos siblings did not explain why he was granting the pardons. Records show they had not formally requested clemency through official channels.

Trump's recent clemency decisions have raised eyebrows across the board. Last month, he pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, Honduras' former president who'd been sentenced to 45 years for drug trafficking. Critics point out that many recipients seem to be political allies or connected individuals rather than people who've demonstrated genuine rehabilitation.

Environmental Justice Concerns

The Presidential Pardon Power represents what describe as 'nearly absolute monarchical authority within a republic founded on principles of limited government'. The United States Supreme Court has interpreted this power as 'plenary', meaning that it is considerably broad and not generally subject to congressional modification.

The De Jong pardon stands out because it involves environmental crimes that affected multiple California communities. Questions are being raised about whether wealthy business owners should get off scot-free for schemes that saved them millions whilst potentially endangering public health infrastructure. Environmental advocates worry these kinds of pardons send a dangerous message to companies that cutting corners on waste disposal might be worth the risk if you've got the right connections.