An Eastern Montgomery County roofing company owner has been sentenced to 10 months in prison in connection with the 2013 fatal fall of an employee who resided in the Northeast.
James J. McCullagh, 60, owner of a Jenkintown-based company that bears his name, pleaded guilty on Dec. 9 to four counts of making false statements to authorities, one count of obstructing justice and one count of violating a federal safety regulation causing death. U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro sentenced him on March 29 to the aforementioned prison time, as well as one year of supervised release and a $510 special assessment.
On June 21, 2013, Mark T. Smith, 52, was working for McCullagh at Old Zion Church, at Broad and Mt. Vernon streets, when he fell from a 45-foot-high scaffold. In a subsequent investigation by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, McCullagh lied to cover up that he did not provide required safety equipment to Smith and other workers, such as harnesses.
Smith was a married father of four and grandfather of three.
McCullagh, a Meadowbrook resident, faced up to 25 years in prison. ••
