Paging Frank Abagnale, Jr.!
A Florida conman scored greater than 120 free flights by posing as a crew member with at the very least seven totally different airways in a wild, “Catch Me If You Can”-style rip-off, in keeping with federal prosecutors.
Tiron Alexander, 35 — whose scheme echoes that of the real-life imposter pilot who impressed the Leonardo DiCaprio film — was convicted of fraud June 5, in keeping with the US Lawyer’s Workplace for the Southern District of Florida.
Alexander took swindling to new heights by submitting scores of faux flight attendant credentials, together with phony badge numbers, to guide free flights between 2018 and 2024, federal prosecutors stated.
The intelligent airhead turned within the bogus paperwork, full with roughly 30 fabricated rent dates and ID numbers, to get aboard flights with out paying — a perk solely provided to pilots and crew members, prosecutors stated.
All instructed, Alexander went on at the very least 34 free flights and booked a complete of at the very least 120 with out ever working for any of the airways concerned, authorities stated.
The fraudster beforehand labored for an unidentified airline in Dallas however was by no means a pilot or flight attendant for the agency, in keeping with the prosecutors.
He was discovered responsible of wire fraud and coming into safe airport areas beneath false pretenses and faces as much as 20 years behind bars. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 25.
Against this, “Catch Me if You Can” tells the true story of conman Frank Abagnale, Jr. who impersonated a Pan Am pilot, a health care provider and a lawyer — all earlier than turning 19 years outdated.
He was finally caught in 1970 and later used his experience in fraud to work with the FBI.
