Police on Tuesday arrested Jason Julian, co-owner of the company that owns the proposed site for the relocation of New London city offices, on felony larceny and environmental charges related to allegations of illegal dumping and providing kickbacks to town officials in Fairfield.

Julian is the vice president of Julian Enterprises, which owns 6 Shaw’s Cove in New London. The city had until last month been in negotiations with Julian for a $19 million, 25-year lease to provide space for city offices. A portion of the office building is being leased to Electric Boat.

The City Council had halted lease negotiations with the Julians abruptly with a unanimous vote but with little explanation. City Council President John Satti said, “I’ve always heard good things about the Julians, but issues came up during the vetting process that we had concerns with.”

Julian was arrested with others at the outcome of a two-year investigation by detectives with the Fairfield Police Department into the illegal dumping on town property that Julian Development was hired by the town to manage.

Julian’s former contract with the town was the focus of dueling lawsuits.

Arrested along with Julian this week was Scott Bartlett, the superintendent of the Fairfield Department of Public Works, and Joseph Michelangelo, the director of the Fairfield Department of Public Works.

All three were charged with conspiring to commit various environmental crimes, including illegal dumping and discharging materials into the waters of Connecticut, felonies carrying maximum prison sentences of up to three years, the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

The case is being prosecuted by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.

Julian faces four counts of first-degree larceny, one count of first-degree forgery, four counts of second-degree forgery, one count of paying kickbacks and two counts of illegal dumping of hazardous waste, felonies carrying maximum prison sentences of up to 10 years.

An arrest warrant affidavit in the case reveals that Bartlett and Michelangelo participated in an “ongoing years-long pattern of criminal activity that included a conspiracy between themselves and a contractor, Julian, that they hired to operate part of the Town (Department of Public Works) property as a Materials Processing Facility.”

“The property became a dumping ground for unauthorized, contaminated and/or hazardous materials, for the benefit of Julian and to the detriment of the Town and neighboring residents,” the statement from the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office said.

The scheme also allegedly involved misappropriation of town funds and submitting false financial documents. Both Bartlett and Michelangelo were processed at the Fairfield Police Department on Monday. Julian was processed at the Fairfield Police Department on Tuesday.

All three are scheduled for arraignment in Bridgeport Superior Court on Wednesday.

An attorney representing Julian was not immediately available to comment.

The Fairfield Police Department, in a statement, said “the primary focus of this investigation was to ensure the safety and well-being of the Town and all of its residents. This investigation has troubled all of us within the organization, as we know it will with the community as well. This case is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Fairfield Police Department.”

New London Mayor Michael Passero said he was unaware of the details of the arrest.

“I can’t judge that situation,” Passero said. “(Jason Julian) has been nothing but an important business partner with the city for years. Shaw’s Cove Six is an important asset. They have great businesses in the building and it provides a significant boost to the tax base in the city.”

 g.smith@theday.com