Federal prosecutors have charged two safety inspectors with wire fraud, alleging they falsified hundreds of natural gas pipeline inspection reports in New York City and Westchester County. The indictment was unsealed by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang.
Liam Treibert and Michael Vasconcellos are accused of defrauding a regulated utility company referred to as “Utility-1” by submitting fraudulent safety inspection records for pipelines installed between 2016 and 2023. Treibert was arrested in North Carolina and will appear in federal court in Raleigh, while Vasconcellos was arrested in New York and will be presented in White Plains federal court.
“As alleged, Liam Treibert and Michael Vasconcellos violated the trust placed in them to ensure the safety of natural gas pipelines that were being installed throughout New York City and Westchester County,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “They lied about having performed hundreds of inspections and then covered up those lies with fraudulent paperwork. Their actions put the lives of New Yorkers at risk. The safety of New Yorkers is of paramount importance to our Office.”
“When deliberate misconduct – as alleged here – puts entire communities at risk, those responsible must face swift and decisive consequences,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang. “Today’s arrests, made in partnership with the Southern District of New York, demonstrate my agency’s unwavering commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and pursuing accountability on behalf of all New Yorkers.”
According to the indictment, Treibert and Vasconcellos were tasked with inspecting welds on newly installed gas pipelines—inspections designed to prevent defects that could cause leaks or explosions. Prosecutors allege that instead of performing these inspections, both men fabricated records indicating they had completed hundreds of weld checks.
Radiographic testing—using x-rays to examine welds for defects—is a standard method used during pipeline installation before service begins. The indictment alleges that Treibert and Vasconcellos engaged in a practice known as “radaring,” where one weld would be radiographed twice but reported as two separate inspections for different welds.
Hundreds of pipeline welds across the Bronx and Westchester County were reportedly affected by this scheme from 2016 through 2023. Utility-1 paid invoices for these inspections via bank transfers without knowing many tests had not been conducted.
Treibert, age 30 from Wendell, North Carolina, and Vasconcellos, age 44 from Mahopac, New York, each face one count of wire fraud carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years if convicted. Sentencing decisions will be determined by a judge.
U.S. Attorney Clayton acknowledged investigative work done by the Offices of the New York State Inspector General and special agents from his office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Markewitz and Jay McMahon are prosecuting the case out of the White Plains Division.
The charges are accusations; both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
