An Atlanta emissions inspector will spend two years in federal prison for issuing certificates to drivers whose vehicles should have failed.
Michael Kelly, 40, was convicted of violating the federal Clean Air Act. He faked emissions tests for illegal payments, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said.
"He passed hundreds of cars that should of failed, allowing dangerous pollutants to be released into the air everyone breathes,” Yates said.
Kelly, who pleaded guilty April 1, was convicted along with Jackie Baker, 52, of Atlanta and James Hinton, 41, of Riverdale. Baker and Hinton are scheduled to be sentenced June 29.
The three inspectors issued more than 1,400 fraudulent certificates while working at a “Stop N Shop” in College Park from January through May 2009, authorities said. Kelly issued 476 of the certificates.
Many of the vehicles had already failed emission tests or showed equipment malfunctions. The trio charged $100 to $125 for the certificates, which normally cost around $20.
When Kelly was arrested in Union City in March, he was issuing himself a fraudulent certificate, authorities said. In addition to the prison sentence, Kelly received one year of supervised release.
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