CHARLESTON, W.Va. A federal judge has scheduled plea hearings for next month for Freedom Industries and four former Freedom officials. All are expected to plead guilty to Clean Water Act crimes in connection with the January 2014 chemical leak that contaminated the drinking water supply for hundreds of thousands of residents in Charleston and surrounding communities.

U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston scheduled the plea hearing for Freedom Industries for 3 p.m. March 23. The company has said it has reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on one felony and two misdemeanor pollution charges outlined in an information filed against the company. An information is a charging document that generally indicates that the defendant is cooperating with authorities and has reached a plea agreement.

Johnston scheduled a plea hearing for former Freedom official William Tis for 10 a.m. March 16 and for former Freedom official Charles Herzing for 2 p.m. March 16.

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin confirmed earlier this week that Tis and Herzing had both reached plea agreements with his office.

Tis and Herzing were both charged with three misdemeanor water pollution crimes in an indictment handed up by a federal grand jury in December. Both had originally pleaded not guilty.

Johnston set a plea hearing for former Freedom official Michael Burdette for 10 a.m. March 18 and for former Freedom official Robert Reynolds for 2 p.m. March 18.

Burdette and Reynolds were charged in separate informations with one misdemeanor count each of violating the Clean Water Act. They have not yet made any court appearances.

Former Freedom officials Dennis Farrell and Gary Southern both also face three Clean Water Act charges, and Southern faces separate bankruptcy fraud charges for allegedly trying to hide his personal wealth from Freedoms bankruptcy proceeding and from civil lawsuits filed against the company over the leak. Farrell and Southern both have pleaded not guilty. Trial is scheduled for Oct. 6.

Reach Ken Ward Jr. at kward@wvgazette.com, 304-348-1702 or follow @kenwardjr on Twitter.

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Freedom Industries plea hearings set