A 35-year-old man from the United States, Tiron Alexander, has been found guilty of fraud after pretending to be a flight attendant and taking over 120 free flights across the country.
From 2018 to 2024, Alexander used airline crew systems to access free travel benefits meant only for staff like flight attendants and pilots. Although he started working at an airline in 2015, he was never actually employed as a flight attendant or pilot. Instead, he used 30 different fake badge numbers and made-up employment dates to trick various airlines, including American Airlines, Delta, Spirit, Southwest, and United Airlines.
On one airline alone, he boarded 34 flights by pretending to be part of the crew. Despite successfully boarding these flights, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confirmed that he passed all standard ID checks and physical screenings, and did not pose a threat to passenger safety.
A federal jury found him guilty of wire fraud and illegally entering secure areas of airports. He now faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, 10 years for entering restricted areas under false pretences, a fine of up to \$250,000 (approximately ₹2.15 crore), and up to three years of supervised release.
