A Cheyenne dentist and contractor who caused asbestos to be released during a commercial renovation project in 2015 have been sentenced to probation, U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen's office said Tuesday.

The project involved the former Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities building at 2100 Pioneer Avenue, which Dr. Richard S. Cutler purchased and now uses as his dental office.

Klaassen's office says Cutler and his contractor, Jacob Lee Davis, renovated the building without properly dealing with the asbestos it contained, exposing several workers to the hazardous air pollutant.

Davis ultimately pleaded guilty to knowingly violating and causing others to violate asbestos work practice standards, and on June 9, 2020, was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and ordered to pay a $9,000 fine. His judgement was amended on Sept. 8 to reflect his agreement to pay $2,225 restitution.

Cutler pleaded guilty to negligently causing the release of asbestos, and was sentenced on Aug. 26, 2020, to three years of supervised probation, a $25,000 fine and $2,225 restitution.

As a condition of probation, the two must perform 120 hours of community service.

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