Three emissions inspectors are accused of giving passing certificates to vehicles that should have failed in exchange for cash.
Jackie Baker, 52, James Hinton, 41, and Michael Kelly, 40, have been indicted for allegedly falsifying more than 1,400 test while working at a "Stop N Shop" in College Park during a five-month period in 2009, according to U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. They lost their licenses to work as inspectors and now face federal charges.
Instead of connecting the owners’ real cars to the emissions equipment, the defendants connected different cars they knew would pass the test, Yates said in a statement. The three charged the vehicle owners $100 to $125, rather than the typical $20 fee.
State law caps the fee for emissions tests at $25.
The 119-count indictment charges the three former inspectors with conspiracy and Clean Air Act violations. The conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and each Clean Air Act count carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, Yates said. Each count also carries a maximum fine of up to $250,000.
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