FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced the guilty plea of Rodney Bryan Barkley, 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, for violations of Maryland environmental laws regarding the issuance of fake lead paint certificates. The investigation was led by the Attorney General’s Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit (ENRCU) and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).
The investigation began following a referral from the MDE in February 2024, after an MDE review found that Barkley, a Maryland-certified Lead Paint Inspector and principal operator of Green Environmental, LLC, was using an X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) device that was not on the list of MDE-approved machines. The review also discovered that he did not possess the required radioactive material license (RAM) to operate the XRF. The Attorney General’s subsequent investigation revealed that Barkley had issued multiple lead abatement certificates based upon falsified laboratory reports. The falsifications included changing dates, addresses, and lead content values on official lab reports to create fake lead-free certificates. In addition to criminal charges brought by the Office of the Attorney General, MDE also suspended Barkley’s accreditation and invalidated 1,400 lead certificates that he had issued.
“Parents trust that when they receive a certificate stating their homes are lead-free, their children are protected against a poison that can damage their developing brains and bodies. Rodney Barkley betrayed that trust, jeopardizing children’s health and futures,” said Attorney General Brown. “Our Office will always hold accountable anyone who endangers Maryland families by circumventing protections designed to keep them safe.”
“Children are the innocent victims of lead poisoning, and their health and safety must be our top priority,” said Maryland Department of Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain. “Cases like this remind us that we all have a responsibility to be vigilant, whether as neighbors, landlords, or public officials, to empower parents with the information they need to protect their families from the serious, lifelong effects of lead exposure.”
The Maryland Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing law requires rental property owners to meet safety standards prior to occupancy, with certificates like the Full Risk Reduction Certificates and Lead Free Certificates being critical in protecting tenants, particularly children, from the hazards of lead paint poisoning. The severity of Barkley’s actions was underscored by evidence that some children, residing in properties for which Barkley had issued certifications, were later identified to have elevated lead blood levels.
On October 3, 2025, Barkley pleaded guilty before the Honorable Sylvester Cox of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City to four counts of Falsifying a Lead Paint Risk Reduction Certificate and one count of Operating a Radiation Machine Without Obtaining a License. Sentencing is scheduled for February 3, 2026, where the state will be recommending incarceration. In total, Barkley is facing up to nine years of incarceration and up to $225,000 in fines.
Attorney General Brown thanked his Criminal Division, specifically Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit Chief D’Arcy Talley, Investigator Ronald Weinreich Jr., and Senior Assistant Attorney General Kory Lemmert and Assistant Attorney General Eileen Murphy, who prosecuted this case. Attorney General Brown also thanked the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for referring the matter to ENRCU, and MDE’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program for their cooperation in this prosecution. Finally, Attorney General Brown thanked State’s Attorney for Baltimore City Ivan J. Bates for his assistance in this prosecution.
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