JENNINGS, Mo. — A former bowling ball manufacturer and two of its leaders are accused of failing to dispose of hazardous materials before its warehouse facility was abandoned in 2019.
Visionary Bowling Products LLC, its owner John Wonders Sr., and senior officer Jason Wonders are each facing a felony criminal charge of unlawful storage of hazardous waste.
In federal court documents, the U.S. State's Attorney office said the business was operating in a Jennings facility at 9709 Xograph Ave. from 1999 to 2019.
Prosecutors said in October 2019, the city of Jennings took possession of the property after acquiring the property due to unpaid property taxes, and at that time Visionary Bowling had already stopped production.
Prosecutors said numerous containers of various chemicals and industrial materials were abandoned at the facility.
In Oct. 2021, the building caught fire, with evacuations ordered in the nearby area due to the potential hazard of burning chemicals.
The indictment document does not specify what the materials were, but at the time of the fire, officials with the Riverview Fire Department told 5 On Your Side the resins and some other materials used to make the balls created a hazmat situation.
Prosecutors said on November 2021, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources visited the site to assess if the fires impacted any hazardous waste. Prosecutors said investigators found hundreds of discarded or abandoned containers in the facility, and requested federal help with handling the materials.
Warrants have been issued Thursday for both John and Jason Wonders.
As of Oct. 3, an initial court date has not been set yet.
