CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte auto shop owner pled guilty to cheating on emissions tests, and one of his employees faces the same federal charges.
Prosecutors say Rodolfo Rodriguez owned Tiger Auto Inspection and More, Auto Spa Inspection and More, and worked for Friendly Auto Repair.
Bryan Canaan worked for Tiger Auto and Auto Spa.
They say Rodriguez and Canaan took money and in exchange, changed the information on vehicles that would have failed emissions inspections. By changing the information, they wouldn’t need the tests.
Investigators say Rodriguez did this on close to 3,800 vehicles and cheated North Carolina out of more than $24,000 in the process.
Canaan is accused of doing this on 3,200 vehicles and costing the state $18,000.
Rodriguez pled guilty to violating the Clean Air Act and Conspiracy. He faces five years behind bars for one of the charges and two years for the other.
Friendly Auto Repair may sound familiar. In 2022, Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke was the only reporter at the scene when federal and state agents raided the business.
Investigators charged the owner, Jamal Saymeh, for cheating on emissions tests as well.
Saymeh pled guilty and was sentenced to just over a year in prison, in addition to a $1 million fine.
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- Federal, state authorities search northeast Charlotte auto repair shop
- Affidavit: Charlotte auto repair shop lied about vehicles emissions testS
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