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A South Florida man, Tiron Alexander, was convicted of wire fraud and entering a secure airport area under false pretenses after posing as a flight attendant to secure free flights. Alexander, 35, took 34 flights without paying by using an airline's employee booking system designed for pilots and flight attendants. He falsely claimed to work for seven different airlines and created approximately 30 fake badge numbers and employment histories.
Alexander's scheme began in 2018 and continued until 2024. He was arrested in California in February and found guilty by a federal jury on June 5. The U.S. District Attorney in Southern Florida stated that Alexander's actions exploited weak verification checks within the airline's supposedly secure process.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that Alexander will be sentenced on August 25, 2025, facing up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and up to 10 years for entering a secure area. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) led the investigation, highlighting concerns over internal aviation security protocols.
Alexander's case has prompted the TSA to replace its Known Crewmember Program with the Crewmember Access Point system, incorporating biometric scans and enhanced verification to prevent similar incidents. This change is set to begin in November 2025.