In a shocking turn of events, Wajdi Waked, 25, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act by falsifying emissions test results. This marks the final guilty plea in a string of 10 cases involving Las Vegas defendants accused of submitting false emissions tests to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (NDMV).
The case came to light in 2008 when the NDMV hired a contractor to build a vehicle identification database to detect possible emissions testing fraud. The database allowed investigators to check the vehicle identification number entered by the emissions tester against the vehicle actually tested. In 2008 alone, over 4,000 false vehicle emissions certificates were issued in Las Vegas, highlighting the scale of the scandal.
The area around Las Vegas and Clark County is required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to have emissions testing due to non-attainment for carbon monoxide and ozone. Wajdi Waked’s guilty plea brings an end to the saga, with all 10 defendants now having pleaded guilty.
According to the indictment, a grand jury in Las Vegas indicted Waked in January 2010. The case was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Nevada Division of Motor Vehicles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang of the District of Nevada and Senior Trial Attorney J. Ronald Sutcliffe of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division prosecuted the case.
Wajdi Waked’s sentencing has been scheduled for August 1, 2011, before Judge Philip M. Pro of the U.S. District Court in Nevada.
The guilty plea brings an end to a complex and far-reaching case that highlights the importance of emissions testing in maintaining air quality. The case serves as a warning to those who would seek to subvert the system and compromise public health.
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Key Facts
- State: Nevada
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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