Kester Uzochukwu: CSRA Waste Inc. owner is charged with theft of services. SPECIAL

After the arraignment, Kester Uzochukwu will be scheduled for trial in Richmond County Superior Court. He was indicted Tuesday on a charge of theft of services.

This week, search-warrant information was unsealed in court records. The lead investigator in the criminal case has gathered records from 60 businesses, private citizens, government agencies and churches, according to his sworn statement used to obtain the search warrants.

The day before the Richmond County grand jury indicted Mr. Uzochukwu, Richmond County Sheriff Sgt. Jay Broome obtained the search warrants.

According to Sgt. Broome's sworn statement,Augusta Chronicle reporter Johnny Edwards and William Polonus, owner of rival Augusta Disposal & Recycling, were not the only ones who saw CSRA Waste employees taking trash from private customers for free disposal at the landfill - police investigators saw it, too.

Sgt. Broome wrote that, on Nov. 16, officers planted orange bags at various places where CSRA Waste had private contracts to haul trash. Workers were then videotaped mixing refuse from those bins with trash from the city-contract customers. All of it was taken to the landfill.

When questioned, two employees told officers that day that Mr. Uzochukwu instructed them months ago to mix the trash from private and city contract sites, Sgt Broome wrote. Six other CSRA Waste employees reported they had received the same instructions.

The investigation of CSRA Waste began last year after The Chronicle revealed its reporters had seen CSRA Waste workers dumping recyclables in with household trash, a violation of the company's contract with the city.

Mr. Uzochukwu has contracts with the city for $6 million to handle waste disposals for seven of the nine zones of residential customers. Waste from these customers can be taken to the landfill for free. Tipping fees are charged for any waste not covered by the contract. CSRA Waste's tipping fees totaled $2,863 in 2000, Sgt. Broome said in his affidavit.

The search warrants sought CSRA Waste contracts, reports, billing information and canceled checks from organizations ranging from Aldersgate United Methodist Church to Funsville amusement park in Martinez.

Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or shodson@augustachronicle.com.