Former DJ and aviation executive Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after causing millions of pounds in losses to international airlines by selling fake aircraft parts.
Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala caused the cancellation of hundreds of international flights by selling fake aircraft parts. The former executive, who received a four-year and eight-month prison sentence in the UK, seriously threatened aviation safety with his actions.
Dangerous Fraud with Fake Parts
While working at a company in Virginia Water, Surrey, Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala admitted that between 2019 and 2023 he defrauded customers under his former company, AOG Technics.
According to a statement from the SFO (Serious Fraud Office), Zamora Yrala sold more than 60,000 fake parts installed on passenger aircraft worldwide. The parts were used in CFM56 engines, the most common engines on Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft.
Four Years and Eight Months in Prison and Bans
Southwark Crown Court sentenced Zamora Yrala to four years and eight months in prison. Judge Simon Picken stated that the crime “meant putting the flight safety of millions of people at risk.”
In addition, Zamora Yrala was disqualified from acting as a company director for the next eight years and will face an investigation regarding the proceeds of crime.
The Scale of the Fraud
Value of fake parts sold: approximately £6.9 million
Affected airlines: Ryanair, American Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, TAP Air Portugal and others
Total financial damage: £39.3 million
American Airlines alone had 28 engines affected and identified £21 million in losses.
Working from his garage, Zamora Yrala offered engine blades, bolts and washers for sale with fake documentation; he also generated emails from fictitious sales and quality managers.
Warning from the SFO
Emma Luxton, operations director of the SFO – Serious Fraud Office, stated that Zamora Yrala’s actions “incredibly put public safety at risk.”
SFO prosecutor Harriet Sassoon emphasized that the sentence “justified the seriousness of this crime” and stated that the exact source of the parts and the profit obtained could not be fully determined.
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