Westmoreland County auto shop accused of falsifying state inspections

WEST NEWTON, Pa. — A Westmoreland County auto shop is accused of falsifying state inspections.

Police have filed charges against Martinelli Auto Service in West Newton.

Court documents say owner John Martinelli would replace inspection stickers without actually looking at the vehicles.

An investigation into the business began in July after PennDOT gave state troopers a tip.

State troopers said they saw Martinelli replace stickers without inspecting the vehicles five times in one day on Aug. 1.

Four of the vehicle owners told police they were unaware their vehicles were not being inspected. They also all paid around $65-70 for the expected inspections.

Troopers said they also saw two vehicles that had repair towing tags but current inspection stickers. Both vehicles were reportedly rusted out and had holes in them.

44 charges were filed against the business on Thursday.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW