Federal prosecutors say two safety inspectors faked hundreds of gas pipeline test results across New York City and Westchester—putting public safety at serious risk.
Liam Treibert and Michael Vasconcellos were charged with wire fraud for allegedly fabricating inspection records over a seven-year period while working for a utility company installing gas pipelines. Prosecutors say the men lied about conducting safety tests on pipeline welds and submitted fake x-rays, a practice known in the industry as “radaring.”
Treibert was arrested in North Carolina, and Vasconcellos was taken into custody in New York. Both face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Investigators say the pair reused x-ray images from the same welds to falsely certify others, allowing potentially defective segments to go uninspected. The fraudulent inspections took place between 2016 and 2023, affecting hundreds of welds in the Bronx and Westchester.
Officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New York State Inspector General called the scheme a direct threat to public safety, citing the risk of gas leaks and explosions.
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