Indictment Charges Pennsylvania Man with Falsely Certifying Bridge Inspection Vehicles

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment today charging KENNETH MIX, 59, of Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, with one count of making a false statement. 

According to the indictment, Under Bridge Inspection (“UBI”) vehicles are vehicles that contain a moveable boom with a platform.  The vehicles are used to conduct inspections of bridges by positioning the vehicle on top of the bridge and, using the boom, lifting a platform carrying inspectors alongside or beneath a bridge deck.  “Company A” rents or leases bridge access equipment, including UBI vehicles, to engineering companies and government agencies for use on bridge inspection and bridge maintenance projects.  Company A’s UBI vehicles travel on interstate highways to job locations throughout the U.S.  Company A has several locations, including one in Connecticut.

MIX was the Equipment Supervisor for Company A.  The indictment alleges that, between approximately January 2012 and January 2015, MIX participated in the creation of false or fictitious Certificates of Unit Test/Examination of Material Handling Device for the UBI vehicles in Company A’s fleet.  The Certificates represented that a UBI vehicle was examined and that the examination met federal requirements when MIX knew that, in fact, an examination was not conducted as set forth on the Certificates.

If convicted of the offense, MIX faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.