Summary

U.S. Fire & Safety Co., Inc. and its owner, Elijah L. Wheeler II, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Cleveland, OH to HazMat violations relating to fraudulent testing and certifications of compressed gas cylinders between 1995 and 2002. Failure to perform accurate periodic hydrostatic retesting of gas cylinders places the lives of firefighters at risk. On December 10, 2004, the company and owner were charged with more than 600 instances of false testing or false certifications of compressed gas cylinders. Sentencing is scheduled for March 23, 2005. PHMSA assisted in this investigation.