1 year ago
17
A 35-year-old man has been found guilty of fraudulently booking more than 120 free flights over six years by pretending to be a flight attendant.
Tiron Alexander was convicted on June 5 and now faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and 10 years for unauthorized access to restricted airport zones.
Federal prosecutors in Miami said Alexander falsely claimed to be a flight attendant for at least seven different airlines between 2018 and 2024. By doing so, he was able to access secure airport areas and book flights on other airlines without paying, using the employee travel portals.
Alexander also allegedly posed as a flight attendant for three additional airlines, broadening the extent of his scheme.
The man allegedly created fake employee profiles, complete with about 30 fabricated hire dates and ID numbers to gain access to crew-only benefits, according to the Department of Justice.
He is accused of taking at least 34 actual flights and booking more than 100 trips in total, without ever working for any of the airlines involved.
Alexander was convicted on June 5 and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 23 before US District Judge Jacqueline Becerra.
Federal prosecutors explained that Alexander’s scheme was a personal effort to take advantage of travel benefits intended for airline employees, not to sell the tickets for money.
