United States v. Mo-Na-Co Biomedical & Environmental Corp., et al.

On May 1, 2026, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Ramon Plaza-Gregory, Ileana Cortes-Gonzalez, and Mo-Na-Co Biomedical & Environmental Corp. (Monaco) with conspiracy and Clean Air Act violations (18 U.S.C. § 371; 42 U.S.C. 7413(c)(1)).

Monaco is a company that owned a commercial incinerator in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Plaza-Gregory is the Monaco president and Cortes-Gonzalez is an operator at this facility that processed biomedical, pathological and miscellaneous waste.

Monaco operated under a permit that limited it to the type of materials that could be burned and the amount of emissions that could be released. Starting in August of 2021, Plaza-Gregory and Cortes-Gonzalez burned unpermitted materials, used malfunctioning equipment, and exceeded emissions limitations. After an inspector from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told the defendants of the violations, Plaza-Gregory began operating Monaco’s incinerator on weekends and holidays. The defendants continued to operate the incinerator illegally and emissions excesses were documented again in July 2024. Following the permit expiration in September 2024, the defendants continued to illegally operate the incinerator on weekends until April 2026.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Both agencies participate in the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Crimes Task Force.