JetBlue Execs Bilk Airline for $10M

Two greedy executives at JetBlue Airways are facing the consequences of their unbound greed after being sentenced to prison for defrauding the airline out of a whopping $10 million.

Julien Levy, 39, of Englewood, New Jersey, and Keily Nunez, 44, of Jamaica, New York, were handed down 20 and 40 months in prison, respectively, by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen in federal court in Brooklyn.

The duo pleaded guilty to committing honest services wire fraud in June and July 2023, respectively. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, announced the sentence.

“These defendants shamelessly lined their own pockets by diverting millions of dollars in airline part contracts to entities they controlled,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that those who betray the trust of their employers by disrupting marketplaces for their own personal gain will be held to account.”

Levy and Nunez orchestrated a scheme that involved manipulating the identity of a deceased airline employee to circumvent JetBlue’s policies and procedures. The scheme led to the approval of more than $10 million in aircraft part invoices between JetBlue and Levy’s company, Summit Aviation Supply LLC, and Alaris Aerospace Systems LLC, a Florida-based aircraft parts seller.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell and Assistant United States Attorney Nick Axelrod prosecuted the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett.

“The defendants abused their positions of power to orchestrate a scheme that defrauded JetBlue Airways out of millions of dollars,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. “Today they face the consequences of their unbound greed. I commend HSI New York and our law enforcement and private sector partners for stemming this corruption before it ultimately impacted well-meaning customers.”

Levy and Nunez’s scheme also involved bribes, with Nunez accepting bribes from Levy in exchange for approving millions of dollars in aircraft part invoices. Nunez was previously sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in connection with a separate scheme to defraud the United States Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program of approximately $1.5 million.

Julien Levy was sentenced to 20 months in prison for his role in the $10 million scheme. Keily Nunez received a 40-month sentence for his part in the scam. Their greed and corruption have been punished, and they will face the consequences of their actions behind bars.

JetBlue Execs Bilk Airline for $10M – The Grimy Times

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