Summary

On March 9, 2016, Garald Bennett, pleaded guilty to false certifications in U.S. District Court, Bay City, MI. In February 2015, Bennett was charged with falsely certifying and marking cargo tanks as having passed hydrostatic pressure tests and wet fluorescent magnetic particle tests as required by the Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Act.  

Garald Bennett was the manager of LPG Service and Leasing LLC (LPG), a cargo tank testing facility located in Cass City, MI. DOT regulations require that cargo tanks used to transport explosive materials be tested and re-certified as to their structural integrity every five years. Hydrostatic pressure tests and wet fluorescent magnetic particle tests are required as part of the five-year re-certification process for such tanks. The regulations also require that people working on such tanks have specified qualifications and do the work according to established protocols. The regulations are designed to ensure the safety of the public on the roadways and also the people who work on and around the cargo tanks. 

Bennett admitted that he provided false certifications and tank markings indicating that the cargo tanks had passed the required certification tests, when the tanks had not been subjected to these tests.