BALTIMORE, MD — A man from Baltimore has admitted guilt to several environmental offenses after he issued fake lead paint certificates that put the health of families and children in the city at risk.
Rodney Bryan Barkley, 43, confessed in Baltimore City Circuit Court on October 3, 2025, to creating false official lead paint risk reduction certificates and using radioactive equipment without the necessary license. He could face a maximum of nine years in prison and fines totaling $225,000, with his sentencing set for February 3, 2026.
Barkley, who is a certified lead paint inspector and runs Green Environmental, LLC, was discovered to have utilized an unauthorized X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) device and did not possess the required license for radioactive materials. Investigators also found that Barkley tampered with laboratory reports, altering addresses, dates, and lead content results to falsely label properties as ‘lead-free.’
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) suspended Barkley’s accreditation and invalidated over 1,400 certificates issued by him. Some of the properties he certified were later linked to elevated blood lead levels in children.
“Rodney Barkley betrayed the trust of families who believed their homes were safe,” said Attorney General Anthony G. Brown. “Our office will always hold accountable those who put children’s health and futures at risk.”
MDE Secretary Serena McIlwain emphasized the serious consequences of lead poisoning, especially for children, calling it “a reminder that we all have a responsibility to be vigilant.”
According to Maryland law, landlords must secure certified lead inspections prior to leasing older properties, especially those constructed before 1978. These certifications aim to safeguard tenants from the risks associated with lead exposure, which can lead to permanent neurological harm in children.
Barkley admitted guilt to four charges of falsifying lead paint certificates and one charge of running a radiation machine without the necessary license. The investigation and prosecution were spearheaded by the Maryland Attorney General’s Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit, in collaboration with MDE and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office.
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