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Daisytown man accused of falsifying paperwork for Lawrence County pipeline project

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A Washington County man was one of two people charged last week and accused of falsifying paperwork for a natural gas pipeline project in Lawrence County.

Joseph Berkich, 45, Daisytown, is facing multiple felony charges of forgery, theft, tampering, risking a catastrophe and conspiracy after the state Attorney General’s office said he falsified industrial radiologist certification documents to obtain X-ray examination work on the pipeline project for EnTech Energy.

Investigators said he then conspired with Welton Darl Shipe in an attempt to cover up the deception. Shipe, 61, of Baker, W.Va., was a quality control manager for EnTech Energy on the project and is charged with providing false statements to the state Department of Environmental Protection about the pipeline’s condition and repairs.

Shipe hired Berkich as an industrial radiographer to X-ray and interpret the welds on pipeline sections to evaluate their integrity. However, investigators said he did not provide the necessary certifications before starting the work. After the company repeatedly asked for the paperwork, Berkich provided credentials with multiple forged signatures. It was later discovered that he was neither trained nor certified to perform this type of work, investigators said.

EnTech was forced to hire another firm to re-examine all of the welds that Berkich had previously evaluated. That company determined that some of the materials used by Berkich were not up to industry code. In total, investigators said Berkich signed off seven bad welds that threatened the project’s integrity and endangered the public. Investigators said Shipe later directed a welder and Berkich to come in on a weekend when the project’s inspector was not at the site to cut out bad welds and repair them without reporting the repairs.

“These men allegedly put lives at risk by carelessly ignoring certifications and safety assurance requirements in an effort to profit from pipeline work,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said in a written statement. “Unfortunately, we have seen recently the devastating environmental impacts of such carelessness, and my office is committed to holding accountable those who put the environment and our citizen’s health and lives at risk.”

Charges were filed Thursday against Berkich and Shipe at District Judge Melissa Amodie’s office in New Castle.

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