Sacramento Auto Shop Busted For Falsifying Smog Tests

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Authorities say it is a big money operation and now two people are facing criminal charges for what's called "clean piping."

Jimmy Nguyen is accused of cheating the state smog test.

"A person brings a vehicle in, they enter the data from the vehicle but the test is actually performed on another vehicle, one they know will pass," said John Wallauch with the Bureau of Automotive Repair.

The bureau raided the 1 Ozone Smog Testing Shop at 4095 Power Inn Road in Sacramento on Thursday after weeks of undercover investigation.

"We are getting pretty good at mining data and we have a lot of data," said Wallauch.

And investigators say the identical data collected from their tests led them to the shop.

"All cars will vary a little. These cars are all dead on," said Wallauch.

Caught on surveillance, investigators say they saw Nguyen and a partner clean piping 13 cars in one day.

"Today there was one taken into custody. However, the technician Jimmy Nguyen, an arrest warrant was issued for him, and he was picked up on a nonrelated matter," said Wallauch.

Nguyen and Ozone 1 owner Muhammad Mhussen had their operator's licenses immediately suspended.

Authorities say some smog check customers are victims; others seek out fraudulent businesses to beat the test. Either way, cheating the smog system is a serious crime that could lead to felony charges.

"We don't want to give out all the secrets, because all that does is educate the ones who are trying to do illegal activity," said Wallauch.

Right now the owner of this business is not facing criminal charges, but investigators say if they find a link between the owner and the clean piping, criminal charges could be pending.