![]() ![]() What's more, investigators told NBC 5 Investigates earlier this year that technology has made faking an inspection even easier by allowing fraudulent inspectors to plug a flash drive directly into the emissions analyzer and run software that simulates a car's diagnostic system. Through "clean scans," those cars were able to get temporary paper license plates, or even regular metal plates, by paying an inspection station to fraudulently pass the car.Ĭompounding the problem, state records and undercover videos shot by NBC 5 Investigates reveal that the state’s inspection computer system gathers data showing that the inspections may be fake, but the system is not set up to immediately flag stations conducting fake inspections. Law enforcement fraud investigators from a Travis County unit that investigates fraud said they suspect millions of cars on Texas roads never passed state-required safety or emissions tests. In March, NBC 5's Investigates showed how some state-licensed vehicle inspection stations are taking cash in exchange for falsely passing cars - and the state's computer system does nothing to flag the fake inspections and prevent those cars from getting real Texas license plates. NBC 5 BEGINS 'FAKE INSPECTIONS, REAL PLATES' INVESTIGATION The DPS said Friday it served a warrant at South Side Inspections, at another address on Romine Avenue, but they declined to release that address or share the names of the people the agency said are detained and facing possible charges.įor weeks NBC 5 Investigates has tried to reach the person listed in state records as the owner of South Side Inspections, but the main phone number was disconnected and other messages have not been returned. Law enforcement investigators told NBC 5 Investigates numbers like that are a red flag because they said it's not possible for a small shop to turn out legitimate inspections that fast. There were 55 days when South Side Inspections cranked out more than 500 inspections in a single day. The records showed that in less than five months the shop issued inspections for more than 56,000 vehicles. But during that hour state records show South Side Inspections reported inspecting 33 vehicles, or about one every two minutes. We didn't see inspections happening either. One day in June we sat nearby and watched that parking lot for an hour. We double-checked a building in the parking lot, but instead of an inspection shop, we found a snow cone stand where the employees didn’t know anything about state inspections. The DPS said the investigation began on April 26, that’s the same day NBC 5 Investigates rode with DPS State Troopers as they conducted surveillance at a number of Dallas inspection stations.ĭPS records showed we would find South Side Inspections at 2719 Romine Avenue in Dallas. The Texas DPS told NBC 5 Investigates Friday afternoon that the investigation is connected to an inspection shop we have been asking questions about in recent weeks - South Side Inspections - because records show that shop cranked out a massive number of inspections. DPS SERVES WARRANT AT A SHOP NBC 5 HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING FOR WEEKS Investigations into "clean scanning" are ongoing and the DPS said more arrests and charges are expected. "RSD continues to work closely with the Rangers to ensure that all illegal activity is uncovered and stopped." "DPS strives to maintain the highest level of integrity among its employees and will pursue prosecution for those engaging in any type of criminal activity," the DPS said in a statement Friday. The DPS said four others who were not DPS employees were also detained Friday and could also face charges. The employees have also been suspended pending the results of the criminal and administrative investigations. Those two DPS employees were arrested on Friday by Texas Rangers and have each been charged with engaging in organized criminal activity. The DPS said the arrests included five people at a Dallas inspection station on April 26 and that investigators subsequently learned from those arrests that two DPS employees were being paid by someone at the station to help them avoid detection. Those stations were put under surveillance by members of the RSD, the DPS's Criminal Investigations Division, and the Texas Highway Patrol, and several arrests were made. Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox.
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