Elias earned an economics degree from an Ivy League school at age 19 and a law degree from the University of Arizona and then went on to build two successful businesses, one in real estate investment, the other in chemical processing through his company, Evergreen Resources. Along the way, he patented a process for extracting silver from phosphorous tailings and raised three high-achieving children who grew up to be a physicist, a television news reporter and an attorney. It is the longest sentence ever imposed in an environmental case, the previous being 13 years.
Prosecutors say they want to make an example of Elias.
It's a remarkable and tragic story. He simply chose time and time again to ignore those requirements and expose workers to unnecessary risks. Elias is the first Idaho employer to be convicted in criminal court for a worker's injuries. Companies and supervisors nationwide, however, have faced criminal charges for safety violations that, in years past, would have been adjudicated in civil court. Two mechanics also were charged but were acquitted.