Former Gwinnett emissions inspector pleads guilty to performing fraudulent tests, USDOJ says

ATLANTA — A former Georgia vehicle emissions inspector pled guilty to faking test results for thousands of emissions certificates.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Mehboobhusain Malik, a 72-year-old Lilburn man, worked as a state emissions inspector.

The emissions inspectors determine whether a car is environmentally friendly under certain local regulations.

Vehicles are emissions-tested in various Georgia counties as a condition of vehicle registration.

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Justice Department officials said Malik and “his confederates” used a test simulator to fraudulently pass vehicles that failed emissions tests.

U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan described Malik’s charges in court as violating laws meant to protect human health and air quality.

As detailed in court records, Malik used his inspector credentials to program a simulator to run tests on cars that failed emissions inspections, providing a false pass to the vehicles.

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“The Georgia emissions program exists to protect our community’s air quality,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “With his guilty plea, Malik admits that he essentially sold his position as a licensed emissions inspector by issuing fake emissions certificates for cars that should have failed the test.”

By doing so, Malik “allowed the vehicle to be improperly registered,” DOJ officials said.

Malik did these fraudulent emissions tests at multiple testing locations in the metro Atlanta area, performing what USDOJ said were thousands of fraudulent tests.

“This case demonstrates how local, state, and federal agencies work together to uphold and enforce laws designed to protect human health and the air that we breathe,” Sara Lips, Director of Communications and Community Engagement for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, said. “It further underscores EPD’s emphasis on compliance and enforcement in the Enhanced Inspection and Maintenance Program to ensure Georgia and Metro Atlanta continues to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.”

Malik is due back in court on Jan. 18, 2024 for sentencing, after pleading guilty to violating the Clean Air Act.

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