Eight motor vehicle inspectors at seven Bronx auto shops were arrested and accused of conducting more than 13,000 fraudulent vehicle safety and emission inspections during after a three month sting operation, the state Attorney General’s Office announced today.
For a fee of $150 seven of the city’s most popular inspection stations passed vehicles that were destined to fail by simply hooking up the DMV’s emission’s computer to a second car that would pass the test — an illegal practice called “clean scan.” A normal inspection sticker costs $37.
“These individuals were trusted to perform state-required inspections specifically aimed at keeping unsafe cars off the road. Instead of performing safety inspections, they took advantage of their expertise and cheated the system,” Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said.
“New York’s emissions standards are crucial for ensuring that dangerous pollution isn’t spewed into the air we breathe, and that unsafe vehicles are kept off our streets. These perpetrators will be held accountable for polluting our skies, threatening our children’s health and undermining public safety.”
The AG’s Office, along with the Department of Motor Vehicle Department of Environmental Conservation, conducted the sting between December 2012 and February 2013, snagging 13,437 fraudulent inspection stickers.
The defendants are all charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the Second Degree that carries a maximum sentence of seven 7 years in prison. Other charges include issuing a false certificate, and illegal issuance of an emission certificate of inspection. The owners of the garage also face fines.