A Nashville man is behind bars after authorities say he passed himself off as a licensed fire-system inspector, then charged local businesses hundreds of dollars for inspections they did not actually need. Investigators say he zeroed in on owners who do not speak English as their first language and operated under the name Tennessee Fire Specialty Systems.
How investigators say the scheme worked
Fire investigators have identified the suspect as 63-year-old Wesley Shaw, who they say ran an unlicensed operation that collected hundreds of dollars from businesses for work that was never properly done. One of those business owners, Betty Ramos, runs a grocery, meat, and flower market on Nolensville Pike and told reporters she first met Shaw about 17 or 18 years ago. She said he came by roughly twice a year, charging around $200 to $300 each visit.
“This person is for Latin restaurants,” Ramos told WSMV, explaining that she believed the inspections were legitimate until a real fire inspector later discovered her extinguishers had not been properly inspected at all.
Warnings went out last year
The Nashville Fire Department publicly flagged Tennessee Fire Specialty Systems back in July 2023, warning that Shaw had a history of similar unlicensed activity in Alabama and Middle Tennessee and that any customers using his services were not actually meeting required inspection standards. The department’s notice also stated that Shaw faced charges in Shelbyville in 2018 for criminal simulation and criminal impersonation.
In that earlier release, the Nashville Fire Department urged businesses that had hired Shaw to bring in a properly licensed company to perform the required testing and to report suspicious activity to Metro police.
What Shaw is facing now
Shaw is now charged with impersonation of a licensed professional and is being held on a $5,000 bond, according to WSMV. Investigators say the case is still active and are urging any business that used the unlicensed service to schedule a proper inspection to make sure their fire systems meet code.
Fire officials and Metro police are working to reach potentially affected businesses so that legitimate testing can be completed and safety compliance brought back on track.
