SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An Onondaga County grand jury has filed criminal charges against seven Syracuse landlords for failing to fix lead paint violations at their rental properties.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said the grand jury investigation into lead paint violations was sparked by a 2016 syracuse.com/Post-Standard story about a rental home at 119 Kellogg St. in Syracuse that flunked lead paint tests more than 20 times. A woman with nine children used to live in the house. Two of her children have tested positive for lead poisoning.

Fitzpatrick announced today the seven landlords have been charged with willfull violation of health laws, a misdemeanor. If they don’t fix the problems the landlords could face fines of up to $10,000 and a year in jail.

Fitzpatrick said the charges are part of a crackdown on lead paint violations by his office in coordination with the Onondaga County Health Department and Syracuse’s code enforcement office.

Fitzpatrick said landlords could face felony charges if they ignore lead paint violations that seriously injure children.

The house at 119 Kellogg St. is owned by Mendy Kletzky, of Brooklyn, who ignored citations ordering him to address the problem.

Fitpatrick’s office charged Kletzky in 2017 with willfull violation of health laws, making him the first Syracuse landlord to face criminal charges over lead paint violations. Kletzky pleaded guilty and is in the process of correcting lead paint problems at many of his 20 Syracuse rental properties, Fitzpatrick said.

Lead paint poisoning causes irreversible brain damage in children.

At least 600 Syracuse children, most from poor families, were poisoned by lead paint in 2017. Eleven percent of children tested in Syracuse had elevated levels of lead in their blood, according to the Onondaga County Health Department.

Here is a list of the seven other landlords charged and the addresses of their properties with lead paint violations:

George Draksin of Syracuse -- 224 Beecher St.;

Jason Semple of Syracuse -- 344 Cortland Ave.

Larae Potter of Eden, North Carolina -- 432 Elliot St.

Stanley Bastien of New York City -- 1203 Lodi St.

Katherine Krupa of Honesdale, Pennsylvania -- 315 Midler Ave.

Tracy Nguyen of Cicero -- 710 Pond St.

David Fudge, Syracuse -- 135 Richardson Ave.

The grand jury report said children who are refugees and kids who live in low-income neighborhoods are at high risk of being poisoned by lead paint.

Fitzpatrick said children often put paint chips in their mouths because the chips taste sweet.

He offered this advice to landlords:

“Don’t let some kid from Sudan come to Syracuse in good health and eat lead paint.”