Empire Auto Group, a Manchester, N.H. used-car dealer has pleaded guilty to selling cars that didn’t get proper emissions tests.

The attorney general’s office said the Empire Automotive Group in Manchester used “ghost vehicles” that had passed diagnostic inspections to falsely represent another car. The cars were sold to unsuspecting customers.

The state said Empire used the practice on 144 vehicles. The dealer has since contacted all of the consumers and corrected any deficiencies at its sole cost and expense.

Empire was fined $20,000 and ordered to reimburse the state $25,000.

Randy Miller, the president of Empire Automotive Group, told WMUR the cars had completed a safety inspection. They were not ready to be tested for emissions.