WASHINGTON D.C. — A Pennsylvania man pled guilty in connection to the creation of false calibration certificates within the jurisdiction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
According to the Department of Justice, Martin Ramos, 52, from Levittown, worked for a company that provided acoustic emissions (AE) testing to nuclear power plants. AE testing is used to detect structural defects in the plant’s equipment.
After testing, Ramos helped create and transmit final reports to the plant owners which, among other things, contained calibration certificates for the equipment.
“Today, we hold defendants accountable for deliberately attempting to bypass testing protocols that are essential to keeping nuclear power plants safe,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We will continue to use all available enforcement authorities to support NRC’s efforts to ensure that nuclear energy is safely created.”
According to officials, Ramos worked under Miguel Marcial Amaro, who also faced charges, as an engineer from 2010 to 2021. The two made numbers false calibration certificates for AE testing equipment, including 15 false certificates sent a total of 29 times to nuclear plant owners.
The certificates were discovered in 2021 during an external audit, officials said.
“The NRC takes its mission of protecting public health and safety very seriously,” said Director Thomas G. Ashley Jr. of the NRC’s Office of Investigations. “It’s vital that employees at NRC-regulated entities act with integrity. Today’s announcement shows deliberate violations of NRC requirements will not be tolerated.”
Ramos and Marcial are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 25, 2024. They face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
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