Seven current and former Michigan police officers -- including three people from the same family -- are facing criminal charges for failing to conduct proper inspections of rebuilt salvage vehicles, according to the Michigan attorney general's office.

They are accused of signing Secretary of State documents certifying inspections that, in reality, didn't happen, based on an investigation by the FBI Detroit-Area Public Corruption Task Force.

Each of the seven are facing from six to 25 charges of uttering and publishing for falsifying documents, a felony that carries up to a 14-year prison sentence.

In total, the investigation found 101 vehicles with improper inspections.

"These public officials cut corners and fraudulently submitted paperwork. taking advantage of the trust and responsibility they are given as police officers," Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said in a press release.

Those charged include Robert Greene, 64, a former Van Buren Township officer, and his two sons, John Greene, 43, a Detroit school public safety officer, and Tim Greene, 42, a Northfield Township police lieutenant.

Also charged:

Elaine Danishevskaya, 39, former Bangor police chief;

Tammy Barnes, 59, a Detroit police officer;

Kevin Waif, 43, a Redford police detective;

Greg Baumgardner, 44, a former Riverview police officer.

At issue is the process for issuing new titles and license plates for vehicles that have been salvaged, such as when a car is totaled by an insurance company.

When salvaged cars are rebuilt and put back on the road, the state requires an inspection by a specially certified officer who needs to check the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) to ensure the vehicle was not rebuilt using stolen parts or that the vehicle itself was not stolen.

Such an inspection costs $100, and only some police departments will do it.

There are 261 police officers in the state certified to do the inspections, said Megan Hawthorne, a spokeswoman for the attorney's general office.

Some police departments contract with outside officers who have the certification.

For instance, Barnes -- who works in Detroit -- was doing the inspections for the Bangor Police Department in Van Buren County. Danishevskaya, who was Bangor police chief from December 2014 to July 2015, "knows Barnes and authorized her to conduct inspections," Hawthorne said.

Meanwhile, the Greenes were doing inspections for the Hamburg Township Police Department in Livingston County, and "their cases appear to be connected," Hawthorne said.

Moreover, the inspectors were working with individuals and car dealerships from around the state. For instance, the inspections that resulted in charges for Barnes and Danishevskaya all involved dealerships and individuals in metro Detroit, even through the inspections were being done through the Bangor Police Department on the other side of the state. The Greenes also were doing inspections for metro Detroit dealerships, even though they were working out of Hamburg Township.

Each of the defendants "conducted hundreds, in some instances thousands, of salvage vehicle inspections," according to the press release from the attorney general's office.

The fraud was identified when authorities conducted spot checks to ensure LEIN checks had occurred, and it was discovered the officers had not conducted the searches required by law.

"Each of these officers were trained ... how to conduct inspections and understood the importance of running LEIN," Hawthorne said.

She said it was the first time spot checks were conducted on these individuals, to her knowledge.

The investigation also found the defendants did not check the National Insurance Crime Bureau's database of stolen vehicles.

Below is a list of a charges against each defendant:

Barnes, a Brownstown resident, 18 counts of uttering and publishing that allegedly occurred between May and August 2015. She was conducting inspections for the Bangor Police Department and her case is in 7th West District Court in South Haven.

Danishevskaya, a Davisburg resident, 25 felony counts of uttering and publishing that allegedly occurred between March and April 2015. She was conducting inspections for the Bangor Police Department and her case is in 7th West District Court in South Haven.

Reif, a Canton resident, 13 counts of uttering and publishing that allegedly occurred between February and May 2016. He was conducting inspections for Redford Police Department and his case is in the 17th District Court in Redford.

Tim Greene, of Romulus, six counts of uttering and publishing that allegedly occurred in January 2015. He was conducting inspections for the Hamburg Township Police Department and his case is in 53rd District Court in Howell.

Robert Greene, of Canton, 11 counts of uttering and publishing that allegedly occurred in January 2015. He was conducting inspections for the Hamburg Township Police Department and his case is in 53rd District Court in Howell.

John Greene, of Wyandotte, seven counts of uttering and publishing that allegedly occurred in July 2015. He was conducting inspections for the Hamburg Township Police Department and his case is in 53rd District Court in Howell.

Bumgardner, of Southgate, 21 counts of uttering and publishing that allegedly occurred in January and February 2014. He was conducting inspections for Riverview and his case in is the 27th District Court in Riverview.

Michigan State Police and Secretary of State's office will "work together to ensure all vehicles involved in this case have a proper salvage vehicle inspection. This may involve directly contacting the registered owners of vehicles improperly inspected to arrange for a new inspection. The process of identifying affected vehicles is ongoing," said the press release from the attorney general's office.