SPRING VALLEY – Two Spring Valley Building Department employees have been indicted on charges of falsifying records pertaining to Evergreen Adult Home that burned in March, killing a resident and a firefighter. Rockland County DA Tom Walsh announced the indictments on Monday, November 15.
Wayne Ballard, 64, head of the Spring Valley DPW and Building Departments, was arrested in June of this year, along with his Chief Building Inspector, 45-year-old Raymond Canario. When they were arrested, they were issued appearance tickets.
The two have been indicted by a Rockland County grand jury for filing false reports to the state regarding fire inspections at the Evergreen facility.
Ballard was indicted on a felony count of offering a false instrument for filing, a misdemeanor count of offering a false instrument for filing, and one misdemeanor count of falsifying business records.
Canario was indicted on three felony counts of offering a false instrument for filing, three misdemeanor counts of offering a false instrument for filing, and three misdemeanor counts of falsifying business records.
Ballard was the former highway superintendent of Clarkstown before being hired by Spring Valley in 2019 to run the combined DPW and building department.
”These indictments are a result of the continuing investigation into the fatal fire that claimed the lives of a volunteer firefighter and a resident of the Evergreen home. My office continues to work hard, following through on our commitment to leave no stone unturned in this tragic incident,” said DA Walsh.
The ongoing criminal investigation has also resulted in the arrests of Aaron Sommer and Nathaniel Sommer on charges of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, arson, and reckless endangerment for causing the fire that killed firefighter Jared Lloyd and facility resident Oliver Hueston.
Arraignment dates have not yet been provided for Ballard or Canario.
