The lawyer acting for National Association of Flight Instructors Executive Director Jason Blair says all criminal charges have been dropped against his client. As AVweb reported, Blair was arrested April 2 on embezzlement charges relating to his time as manager of Harris City/Barry County Airport in Michigan. Blair declined comment on the charges at the time and EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski said his understanding was that it resulted from a contractual dispute between Blair’s company and the county. NAFI is affiliated with EAA but has its own board of directors. In a statement released Thursday, Blair’s lawyer James Mikel McEwen said the matter has been resolved.
“All criminal charges brought against Jason Blair have been dismissed,” McEwen said. “The charges which were brought against Mr. Blair, and ultimately dismissed, involved a corporation in which Mr. Blair has an ownership interest. In the past, this corporation was contracted to provide management services at an airport in Southwest Michigan and a question, which has been resolved, arose over a fuel account. The above-described charges, in no way, had any relationship to Mr. Blair’s duties or position with the National Association of Flight Instructors.” Blair continued his role at NAFI through the legal process.
