Conviction for violating pesticide rules covers five counties By Kevin Boneske For The News-Chronicle A Kewaunee man accused of violating state pesticide rules in five counties has been placed on three years of probation. Anthony J. Bennett, 35, has been convicted in Kewaunee County Circuit Court on five counts of knowingly violating pesticide rules of the state Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection. The charges, dating from 2001 to 2002, were consolidated from cases in Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and Marinette counties. Bennett has been ordered to pay $425 in fines and court costs, plus $2,494 in restitution. He is prohibited from doing work as an independent contractor in the pesticide application field, and only may work in that field if OKed by a DATCP agent. A one-year jail sentence for Bennett is being stayed at the court's discretion. Court records state Bennett, who was first certified as a commercial pesticide applicator in February 1992, had been subject to DATCP pesticide licensing and certification requirements as a sole proprietor of an unlicensed structural pesticide control business. Bennett was accused of various violations of state pesticide rules, such as failing to provide a written notice of pesticide preapplication information, failing to provide written information about pesticide applications, failing to maintain legible pesticide records, being an unlicensed pesticide applicator, operating an unlicensed pesticide application business and misappropriating money as a contractor. Besides being accused of not following state rules when he applied pesticides, court records state Bennett failed to make all of his monthly service calls and didn't refund money for pesticide applications paid for but not provided.