Michigan officer sentenced for falsifying salvage vehicle inspections
A Michigan police officer has been sentenced for falsifying salvage vehicle inspections, according to a Michigan Department of Attorney General press release.
Jonathan Chase, a former Lincoln Township Police Department detective lieutenant, was sentenced in the 2nd Circuit Court in Berrien County to 18 months probation, with the first 90 days served in the Berrien County Jail.
Chase, 55, pleaded no contest to falsifying the inspections, the release states.
“We trust law enforcement to protect our communities, not misuse their authority,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel at the time the defendant pleaded, according to the release. “By falsifying these inspections, this officer put unverified vehicles on our roads and jeopardized public safety. I am proud of the FORCE Team and the Michigan State Police for securing this conviction and holding him accountable.”
The release adds that salvage vehicle inspections ensure vehicles extensively damaged or reconstructed with parts from other sources are safe and that their components are not traced to stolen vehicles.
“Officers performing these inspections must certify the origin of all parts,” the release states. “Chase, who was the sole officer responsible for salvage vehicle certifications within the Lincoln Township Police Department, submitted multiple falsified salvage inspection forms to the Michigan Department of State.”
Salvage inspections are one way deadly counterfeit parts, such as airbags, can be stopped from entering the consumer market, Teena Bohi, an Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council (A2C2) board member, said during a panel discussion at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meeting held in Chicago last month.
Chase was charged in October 2025.
The Michigan State Police Southwest Commercial Auto Recovery Team (SCAR) investigated this case and then referred it to the Department of Attorney General’s FORCE team.
The SCAR Unit is a multi-jurisdictional team dedicated to reducing motor vehicle theft and fraud across Southwest Michigan through investigations, advanced technology, interagency collaboration, and community outreach, the release states.
“Working alongside local police partners, prosecutors, businesses, and residents, SCAR conducts targeted operations against organized theft rings, conducts inspections of dealerships and service facilities, conducts education and training for law enforcement, expands public awareness on prevention, strengthens fraud investigations, and enhances stolen‑vehicle recovery efforts,” the release states. “Together, these initiatives aim to improve community safety, disrupt criminal networks, and protect the economic interests of Michigan drivers.”
The FORCE team targets criminal organizations that steal products from retailers to repackage and sell for profit. Two assistant attorneys general serve the unit full-time and work with special agents with the Department of Attorney General and Michigan State Police detectives to investigate and prosecute crimes.
“The FORCE Team is dedicated to working collaboratively with retailers and local law enforcement agencies to combat organized retail crime,” the release states.
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