Would-Be Mechanic Tries To Bribe Examiner

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A Las Vegas air maintenance student pleaded guilty to attempting to bribe an FAA designated mechanic examiner with $2500 for a passing grade on his final exam.
  • The examiner reported the bribe attempt, leading to a sting operation where the student sent a $500 deposit and planned a final payment.
  • The student's guilty plea means he will not be certified to fix airplanes, an outcome praised for preventing an "unethical and ill-qualified individual" from gaining aircraft maintenance certification.
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A Las Vegas air maintenance student has pleaded guilty to trying to bribe his way through the final exam. Frank A. Jalion Amaro, 21, offered an FAA designated mechanic examiner Duluth, Georgia, $2500 for a passing grade on the test. The examiner immediately reported the bribery attempt and it was turned into a sting operation. Amaro sent the examiner a $500 deposit and the examiner told him to show up for the test in Duluth on Dec. 16 with the final payment of $2,000.

Charges weren’t laid until March but Amaro will not be fixing airplanes for a living. Todd Damiani, a special agent with the Department of Transportation’s inspector general’s office, told The Associated Press he commended the examiner’s quick action and the organization of the sting to prevent “aircraft maintenance certification of an unethical and ill-qualified individual.”

Russ Niles

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.
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