A pair of Miami executives who sold and promised airlines that damaged plane parts were overhauled and "airworthy" were sentenced to federal prison for fraud.
Daniel Navarro, 50, and Jorge Guerrero, 71 – both of Sofly Aviation Services – pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to federal prosecutors.
Navarro was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and Guerrero was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. Both men were ordered to three years probation following their release.
The convicts were ordered to pay no less than $204,055 in joint and several restitution. A $93,309.22 forfeiture order was also placed on Navarro's Miami Lakes, Florida, property.
Prosecutors said from 2012 to 2019, Navarro and Guerrero purchased "as removed" aircraft parts, lied about their airworthiness based on regulations put forth by the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and sold the parts to buyers under the guise the parts were refurbished and passed reinspection.
As part of their scheme, the pair would use an FAA approved repair station's FAA certificate number to falsify an inspection certificate for the parts that were never inspected or repaired, deeming them as "airworthy."
Canadian airlines and a U.S. Department of Defense contractor were among their duped customers.
Citing court documents, the Miami Herald identified the contractor as L3 Harris, to which the men sold several parts, including a harness assembly. When L3 requested the condition of the harness be new or overhauled, Navarro instructed Guerrero to "procure a part in 'any condition'' for the sale," according to the paper.
"The guilty pleas in this investigation should send a clear signal that nefarious schemes that comprise the integrity of the aviation industry's supply chain for commercial and military aircraft will not be tolerated," Special Agent-in-Charge Joseph Harris said in a statement.
