Latest news with #freeflights
Gizmodo
a day ago
- Gizmodo
Guy Scores 120 Free Flights by Posing as Flight Attendant Before Getting Busted
From the 'God forbid a man have hobbies' file, the Department of Justice announced this week that a gentleman who posed as a flight attendant and scored more than 100 free flights over the course of six years has been convicted of wire fraud and entering into a secure area of an airport under false pretenses. In a plot that frankly doesn't seem that wild if you watched the most recent season of Nathan Fielder's 'The Rehearsal,' 35-year-old Tiron Alexander allegedly managed to secure flights that were supposed to only be available to pilots and flight attendants. According to the Department of Justice, Alexander was able to book the flights by falsifying employment information and providing badge numbers that apparently allowed him to bypass the security of the online booking options for airline employees. Alexander's primary victim was a single airline, through which he allegedly booked 34 different flights. He submitted documentation showing that he worked for seven different airlines and reportedly provided more than 30 different badge numbers over the course of his bookings. He was also able to duplicate the process that let him fly for free as a faux employee across three more airlines, ultimately booking a total of 120 free flights between 2018 and 2024. NBC News reported that, according to court documents, Alexander does (or did) work for an airline—one that is headquartered in Dallas, which would include Southwest Airlines and American Airlines on the passenger side and Ameristar Jet Charter and Flexjet on the cargo/charter flight side. He reportedly started working there in 2015, but at no point was he a flight attendant or a pilot during his time at the company. The Transportation Security Administration was involved in investigating the case that was eventually brought to court, according to the Department of Justice. None of the airlines that got caught up in Alexander's scheming were mentioned in the announcement, which is not surprising, as they are likely pretty embarrassed about the whole thing. It doesn't exactly speak highly of the security protocols they have in place. Of course, neither does the fact that Nathan Fielder was able to get people to follow airline employees around for days to study their behavior for a comedy show, so, not exactly a banner year for the airline industry. We also keep having communication blackouts at air traffic control centers around the country, for what it's worth. While he has been convicted, the man is still waiting to see what his penalty will be. A judge will rule on Alexander's sentencing on August 25.
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
Man convicted of fraud for posing as flight attendant to fly for free
(CNN) – A man accused of falsely posing as a flight attendant to reap dozens of free flights has been convicted of wire fraud and fraudulently entering the secure area of an airport. Tiron Alexander, 35, was found guilty by a federal jury after taking 34 free flights that he obtained by pretending to be a flight attendant or a pilot, the U.S. District Attorney in Southern Florida said in a news release Tuesday. He was also convicted of entering the secure area at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport under false pretenses, authorities said. The man was employed by an unidentified airline based in Dallas beginning in 2015, court documents said, but not as a pilot or a flight attendant. The scheme to obtain free tickets, for a Florida-based airline, began in 2018 and continued until 2024, according to court documents. Alexander was indicted on these charges in Florida. He was arrested in California in February. The tickets Alexander secured are reserved for flight attendants and pilots. Free flights are among the top perks of working as a pilot or flight attendant. The benefit is based on seniority and tenure. Using the airlines' online ticketing systems, Alexander claimed to have worked intermittently for seven different carriers, according to the prosecutors' news release. He was convicted of four counts of wire fraud and one count of falsely entering the airport's secure area. Alexander was represented by attorneys in the public defender's office in Miami. CNN has reached out to them for comment. Authorities allege Alexander had booked more than 100 flights by falsely posing as a flight attendant. Alexander will be sentenced in August. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud counts and up to 10 years for entering the airport's secure area, according to the indictment.
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
Man convicted of fraud for posing as flight attendant to fly for free
(CNN) – A man accused of falsely posing as a flight attendant to reap dozens of free flights has been convicted of wire fraud and fraudulently entering the secure area of an airport. Tiron Alexander, 35, was found guilty by a federal jury after taking 34 free flights that he obtained by pretending to be a flight attendant or a pilot, the U.S. District Attorney in Southern Florida said in a news release Tuesday. He was also convicted of entering the secure area at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport under false pretenses, authorities said. The man was employed by an unidentified airline based in Dallas beginning in 2015, court documents said, but not as a pilot or a flight attendant. The scheme to obtain free tickets, for a Florida-based airline, began in 2018 and continued until 2024, according to court documents. Alexander was indicted on these charges in Florida. He was arrested in California in February. The tickets Alexander secured are reserved for flight attendants and pilots. Free flights are among the top perks of working as a pilot or flight attendant. The benefit is based on seniority and tenure. Using the airlines' online ticketing systems, Alexander claimed to have worked intermittently for seven different carriers, according to the prosecutors' news release. He was convicted of four counts of wire fraud and one count of falsely entering the airport's secure area. Alexander was represented by attorneys in the public defender's office in Miami. CNN has reached out to them for comment. Authorities allege Alexander had booked more than 100 flights by falsely posing as a flight attendant. Alexander will be sentenced in August. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud counts and up to 10 years for entering the airport's secure area, according to the indictment.
