On March 9, 2016, Garald Bennett, pleaded guilty to false certifications in U.S. District Court, Bay City, MI. In February 2015, Bennett was charged with falsely certifying and marking cargo tanks as having passed hydrostatic pressure tests and wet fluorescent magnetic particle tests as required by the Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Act. Like their smaller counterpart, steel drums are also hydrostatic pressure tested as a part of their United Nations (DOT) Certification.
Garald Bennett was the manager of LPG Service and Leasing LLC (LPG), a cargo tank testing facility located in Cass City, MI. DOT regulations require that cargo tanks used to transport explosive materials be tested and re-certified as to their structural integrity every five years. Hydrostatic pressure tests and wet fluorescent magnetic particle tests are required as part of the five-year re-certification process for such tanks. The regulations are designed to ensure the safety of the public on the roadways and also the people who work on and around the cargo tanks.
Bennett admitted that he provided false certifications and tank markings indicating that the cargo tanks had passed the required certification tests, when the tanks had not been subjected to these tests.
The OIG’s Office of Investigations is comprised of criminal and general investigators that are responsible for conducting criminal, civil, and administrative investigations of fraud and a variety of other allegations affecting DOT, its operating administrations, programs, and grantees. At a very early stage of the investigative process, all allegations that appear to be criminal in nature will be presented to the Department of Justice for prosecutorial consideration. If the DOJ accepts a matter for prosecution, the Office of Investigations will work the investigation in close coordination with DOJ. A final determination has not, yet, been made.