Courtesy of WRCR.
The trial for the former head of the Spring Valley building and public works department got underway before County Court Judge Kevin Russo Tuesday. The Journal News reported that during opening statements, Prosecutor Ryan Sweeney argued Wayne Ballard knowingly filed a false report with the Department of State over an inspection for the Evergreen Court Home for Adults for the year 2019. The report provides details such as the number of inspections, and the various permits and certificates of occupancy a building has. Defense lawyer Noam Greenspan said in his opening statement that prosecutors failed to provide any evidence of fraud. Ballard is accused of filing a false inspection report, his is the first trial stemming from the 2021 fatal fire at Evergreen in which a resident was killed, along with Spring Valley volunteer firefighter, 35 year-old Jared Lloyd, who died when a portion of the building collapsed on him as he searched for trapped residents.