A 47-year-old Calgary man is being accused of passing vehicles for provincial mechanical inspections without actually performing an inspection, as well as putting vehicle identification numbers on stolen vehicles.

Calgary police Staff Sgt. Robert Rutledge says the man was supposed to inspect repairs to vehicles that had been written off, but instead would just sign the papers.

"These inspections are supposed to take up to three hours and we have evidence that the work was not being done at all,” Rutledge said. “So getting paid, not doing the work and the certificates being submitted to the government of Alberta saying the work had been done.”

The man faces 39 charges for knowingly entering or recording false documentation.

The charges come as a result of investigation from the Calgary Police Service’s auto theft unit as well as Alberta Transportation’s vehicle safety inspectors.

The province is now in the process of recalling 39 vehicles for inspection to make sure they are safe to drive.