Pipeline Inspectors Working in NYC and Westchester County Charged with Faking Hundreds of Weld Inspections Between 2016 and 2023, Compromising Community Safety

     This post is just a news story about pipeline inspectors faking weld tests. It shows that people working for some companies do not care about what they do, whether it is accurate or not, which is a bit dumbfounding, especially in a safety-oriented job such as inspecting a pipeline. Distribution pipelines leak and lead to explosions, although they are mostly the older and aging ones.

     The two inspectors were arrested and charged with federal wire fraud over the fraudulent inspections, where they simply submitted the same picture for multiple welds, without actually inspecting each weld. The fabrications covered hundreds of inspection reports between 2016 and 2023, where they faked inspections by submitting inaccurate pictures and faked paperwork. 

“The indictment alleges the men engaged in a practice known as “radaring,” in which radiographic images of a single weld were reused and passed off as inspections of additional welds. These falsified tests were submitted as invoices, which the utility paid.”

“Federal prosecutors said the scheme compromised safety by bypassing inspections designed to detect defects that could lead to gas leaks or explosions.”

     The U.S. Attorney’s Office in White Plains, NY, is handling the case with assistance from the New York State Inspector General’s Office.

     It makes me wonder what motivates this kind of work behavior. Easy money, I suppose, is a major factor. Employees in these types of jobs should be made aware of their responsibilities for accuracy and especially of the consequences of fraudulent work. If the practice is widespread enough that it has a name, it seems that there is a very real problem with it. It is fraud, plain and simple, and cannot be justified.

     According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York:

“One common form of non-destructive testing of pipeline welds involved radiographs, often referred to as x-rays.  Radiographic testing required a team to radiograph each weld and then examine the films to identify any defects in the welds.  If a defect was identified, then the weld would have to be repaired before the pipeline was put into service.  Failure to repair a defect before a pipeline was put into service could have led to critical failures, including gas leaks or explosions.”

 

 

   

References:

 

Inspectors charged with faking gas pipeline safety tests in New York. Underground Infrastructure. August 29, 2025. Inspectors charged with faking gas pipeline safety tests in New York | Underground Construction

Safety Inspectors Charged With Fabricating Hundreds Of Gas Pipeline Test Results Throughout New York City And Westchester. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. August 28, 2025. Southern District of New York | Safety Inspectors Charged With Fabricating Hundreds Of Gas Pipeline Test Results Throughout New York City And Westchester | United States Department of Justice