Former DJ Sentenced to Over Four Years for Selling 60,000 Fake Jet-Engine Parts
A former aircraft-parts trader has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for selling tens of thousands of falsified components to airline customers across the globe, forcing carriers to ground jets and undertake expensive engine repairs.
Substantial Prison Term for Fraudulent Trading
Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, the previous director of AOG Technics Ltd., was handed a prison term of four years and eight months at Southwark Crown Court on Monday. Dressed in a navy blue three-piece suit, Zamora Yrala spoke only to confirm his name during the proceedings. In December, he pleaded guilty to a single count of fraudulent trading, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
Judge Simon Picken told the court that Zamora Yrala showed remorse for his actions and took into account his guilty plea when determining the sentence. The defendant will likely serve less than half of his total sentence under standard UK sentencing guidelines.
"What you did was reckless at best and utterly inexcusable," Picken stated during the sentencing hearing.
Global Impact on Major Airlines
Zamora Yrala, 38, sold approximately 60,000 falsified components to customers between 2019 and 2023, according to lawyers for the Serious Fraud Office. His actions caused nearly £40 million (approximately US$54 million) in damages to the aviation industry.
The scandal affected numerous major carriers, including:
- Delta Air Lines Inc.
- American Airlines Group Inc.
- Ryanair Holdings PLC
- EasyJet PLC
- Jet2 PLC
After Bloomberg News first reported on the discovery of fabricated paperwork, these airlines found parts sold by AOG on their planes, forcing them to undertake complex and expensive repairs. Some of the compromised components ended up in CFM International Inc.'s CFM56 engines, which power the most widely flown civil aircraft including the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 models.
From Obscure DJ to Aviation Fraudster
The verdict marks the downfall for a man who rose from relative obscurity in his native Venezuela, where he worked as a part-time electronic-dance DJ, to become a linchpin in the lucrative market for aircraft parts. Zamora Yrala ran his fraudulent business from his home near London for several years, selling thousands of components that were either outright fake or had falsified documentation to mask their true origin and condition.
Engineers at TAP Air Portugal's maintenance subsidiary first discovered the issue in 2023. From that point forward, other airlines made similar discoveries, creating a global dash by carriers to tear down affected engines and remove the compromised components.
Exposing Loopholes in Aviation Regulation
The scandal shed light on vulnerabilities within the global aircraft parts trade, an industry that is highly regulated due to safety concerns but still contains loopholes that allowed for the fabrication of documentation. Zamora Yrala exploited these weaknesses to sell components for significantly more than their actual worth.
Safran SA, which manufactures CFM engines through a joint venture with General Electric Co., confirmed that paperwork had been forged to conceal the origin and condition of parts. The United Kingdom Serious Fraud Office raided Zamora Yrala's home south of London later in 2023 and arrested him for suspected fraud following their investigation.
The case highlights ongoing challenges in maintaining supply chain integrity within the aviation industry, where counterfeit or improperly documented parts can create serious safety risks and substantial financial losses for airlines worldwide.
