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9 Accused Of Falsely Certifying Smog Check Tests At South LA Shop

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nine people connected to a South Los Angeles smog-check shop are accused of conducting hundreds of fraudulent inspections that falsely certified vehicles had passed emissions tests.

A 44-count federal indictment filed Tuesday focuses on some 1,300 inspections performed by Smogz R Us.

The defendants face charges including conspiracy and various counts of making false statements.

Prosecutors say the nine men and women violated the Clean Air Act by allowing polluting vehicles to pass when different cars and trucks had actually been tested.

The defendants, who range in age from 23 to 67, will be arraigned in the coming weeks.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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