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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Former BP exec's lawyer wants 'courtesy and largesse' info blocked

Deer Park is one of the areas in Wood River slated for clean-up.

Former BP Amoco contractor Rick Jones of Wood River performed innumerable "acts of courtesy and largesse" for former BP Amoco environmental manager Greg Jeyvak, according to Jevyak's attorney.

Brian King of Clayton, Mo. argues for Jevyak in Madison County family court that Jones's wife, Dorothy Jones, doesn't need to know anything about those acts.

King wants Associate Judge Duane Bailey to prevent Dorothy Jones from deposing Jeyvak in a divorce action Rick Jones initiated against her last year.

Dorothy Jones has asked Jevyak for "all documents which refer or relate in any way to any non-income benefit or monies or gifts" from her husband or his companies.

Her request covers meals, travel, lodging, jewelry, vehicles, bonuses, credit card payments, cash, flights, cruises, season tickets for sporting events, recreation, insurance, auto expenses and reimbursement for personal expenses.

The request also covers any homes that Jones provided to Jevyak.

Jevyak resides on Jones Way in Wood River, on property Jones owns.

Jevyak managed environmental affairs at BP Amoco and carried out projects through Triad Industries, a company Rick Jones owned.

King wrote May 7 that Dorothy Jones invited annoyance and oppression on Jevyak.

"Her inquiry also probes, inexplicably, into the details of Mr. Jones' various acts of largesse and courtesy toward his friend, Greg Jeyvak," King wrote.

He wrote that "she could not possibly expect her inquiry into these topics to lead to the identification of existing, divisible property."

He wrote that "historical items such as 'lodging expenses' and 'use of company vehicle' lack a tangible quality by which they may be physically divided as marital property."

"Mr. Jevyak wonders how an inquiry into transient matters such as 'recreation expenses' Mr. Jones afforded him over the entire 21 years they have been acquainted would aid the Court in identifying divisible marital property." he wrote.

"Those acts of friendship Ms. Jones seeks to discover do not conceivably fit the frame of marital property and are thus outside the scope of admissible evidence."

He wrote that she wanted Jevyak "to archive the innumerable courtesies, bestowments, and gifts he received from Mr. Jones in the context of their 20 year friendship."

Dorothy Jones seeks similar information from Jeff Heintz, who worked for Rick Jones at Triad Industries, and from Heintz's sons Jarrett and Stephen.

She has asked for eight years of tax returns for father and sons.

Jeff Heintz moved May 5 to quash the subpoena.

His attorney, Clyde Kuehn of Belleville, wrote that Dorothy Jones sought to invade the privacy rights of Heintz's entire family.

Her curiosity relates to the botched cleanup of BP Amoco's refinery in Wood River.

In 2002, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency secretary Renee Cipriano announced that BP Amoco would redevelop 841 acres for commerce and industry.

Under the plan Triad Industries would clean 19 parcels, one by one, and Jones would develop each parcel through his real estate business, RLJ LLC.

The cleanup collapsed in 2004, when soil tests turned from positive to negative.

Triad Industries stopped working at BP, Cipriano resigned, and Jevyak left BP Amoco.

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