Six Allegedly Used Unapproved Parts in Aircraft Repairs

Six former aircraft repair executives and supervisors have been charged with allegedly making fraudulent aircraft repairs.

On one occasion, two of the men allegedly used a paper clip instead of an approved part to complete the repair, according to a release from the Department of Justice, Eastern District of California. According to the release, the two men then returned that part to the customer after certifying that the repair had been done properly.

A federal grand jury returned a 36-count indictment Thursday charging Jerry Edward Kuwata, 60, of Granite Bay; Michael Dennis Maupin, 58, of Arbuckle; Scott Hamilton Durham, 39, of Roseville; Christopher Warren MacQueen, 53, of Lincoln; Douglas Arthur Johnson, 52, of Granite Bay; and Anthony Vincent Zito, 47, of Saugus, with conspiracy and fraud involving aircraft parts in interstate commerce, and mail fraud.

The defendants are all former executives and supervisors at WECO Aerospace Systems Inc., an Federal Aviation Administration-certified air repair station based in Lincoln, which was purchased in 2007 by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation.

“The indictment alleges that these defendants knowingly cut corners in repairing aircraft parts and concealed the fact that they were not complying with FAA regulations,” United States Attorney Benjamin Wagner said in a release. “While it is fortunate that there are no aircraft crashes known to be associated with faulty repairs conducted by these defendants, their alleged conduct needlessly took risks with the safety of persons who used aircraft that they repaired. FAA regulations are intended to ensure the safety of air travel, and those who disregard them in order to increase profits should face serious consequences.”

The FAA regulates air travel and publishes regulations that FAA-certified repair stations are required to follow. The regulations include the use of approved parts for repairs and tests and inspections required before a repaired part can be returned and reinstalled into an aircraft.

“It is appalling that these defendants would put financial gain and reward ahead of the safety and well-being of the many people who could have fallen in harm’s way as a result of these fraudulently repaired airplane parts,” said Herb Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the Sacramento FBI. “Everyone that boards or operates an aircraft, as well as the communities that aircraft fly over, should have peace of mind that all safety regulations and guidelines have been followed. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to ensure that aircraft parts companies are properly supplying approved aircraft parts for the safety of all.”

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty for the conspiracy to commit fraud and fraud involving aircraft parts in interstate commerce of 15 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, and three years of supervised release. The maximum statutory penalty for each count of mail fraud is 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and a three-year term of supervised release. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.