Baggage Bandit: Kenner Man Admits $550K Airline Scam

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Pernell Anthony Jones Jr., 31, of Kenner, Louisiana, is facing a hefty sentence after pleading guilty to a sophisticated and brazen scheme to defraud multiple airlines out of over $550,000. Jones admitted to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341.

According to federal court documents, Jones’s operation stretched back to around 2015. He repeatedly boarded commercial flights utilizing fraudulent identification cards and assumed identities. Upon arrival at his destination, he’d file claims with the airline, falsely reporting his luggage as lost, and demanding reimbursement for the phantom loss. The scale of the operation is staggering – over 180 bogus claims were submitted to airlines including American, Alaska, Southwest, United, and JetBlue, totaling more than $550,000 in requested payouts. The airlines ultimately fell for the ruse, dispersing over $300,000 in fraudulent payments.

Law enforcement first caught wind of Jones’s activities in April 2018 at Dallas Love Airport. TSA agents apprehended him while attempting to pass through security with a staggering collection of 36 fraudulent driver’s licenses and 47 credit cards, all bearing fictitious names. While released, Jones didn’t learn his lesson. On March 5, 2020, he was arrested *again*, this time at Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana, while trying to collect a reimbursement check for yet another fabricated baggage claim.

A subsequent search of Jones’s residence on March 5, 2020, unearthed a veritable identity theft workshop. Authorities discovered 34 more fraudulent driver’s licenses, 21 fake work identification cards, and a cache of counterfeit airline employee badges, all featuring Jones’s photograph. The sheer volume of fake IDs suggests a meticulously planned and sustained effort to exploit the airline industry.

Jones now faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment for each count, along with a potential fine of $250,000 per count. He could also be subjected to up to three (3) years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan has scheduled sentencing for February 24, 2021, leaving Jones to contemplate the consequences of his years of deception.

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans commended the collaborative investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni is prosecuting the case, aiming to deliver justice for the airlines and taxpayers victimized by Jones’s elaborate fraud.