FBI MEDIA RELEASE
DPS troopers have filed charges on three people who work at a Houston-area inspection station that was issuing inspection stickers on commercial vehicles that it had not actually inspected.
The inspection station, 5 Minutes Inspections at 735 West 26th Street in Houston, is certified to inspect passenger and commercial vehicles. Investigators believe that the station was issuing hundreds of inspection stickers a month or more on vehicles that had not actually been inspected. The charges followed a three-week investigation by DPS troopers.
The three men have been charged with tampering with a government document, a second degree felony. Punishment on the charges could range from two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
The men are Cesar Hernandez, 27; Ernesto Bastard, 19; and Miguel Castillo, 49.
The criminal investigation in this case continues. Additional investigative leads are being pursued.
This station inspected the charter bus involved in a crash near Sherman, Texas, in August 2008 that killed 17 people on a church trip to Missouri. Further investigation into this aspect of the case could be forthcoming.