LOS ANGELES– A former employee of GAT Airline Ground Support has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for participating in a fraud scheme that cost three major US airlines more than $600,000.
The scheme targeted United Airlines (UA), Delta Air Lines (DL) and American Airlines (AA) through unauthorized ticket upgrades, booking modifications and fraudulent travel vouchers involving reservation systems at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) and other locations.
Former Contractor Employee Ordered to Pay $602,886 in Restitution
Chaculvin Hayes, 37, of Jacksonville, Florida, received the prison sentence from United States District Judge John F. Walter on Monday, November 2, 2026.
The judge also ordered Hayes to pay $602,886.18 in restitution to compensate for the financial losses caused by the fraud scheme.
Hayes pleaded guilty in June 2026 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to his plea agreement, he worked with co-conspirators to manipulate airline reservations, provide unauthorized ticket upgrades, and generate fraudulent travel vouchers.
The investigation established that the scheme operated between January 2017 and December 2019, when Hayes and his co-conspirators worked for GAT Airline Ground Support.
The company provided ticketing and ground support services at Hollywood Burbank Airport and other locations. Their employment gave them access to United Airlines’ and Delta Air Lines’ reservation systems. They could also book American Airlines flights through existing airline agreements.
How the Airline Reservation Fraud Scheme Worked
Hayes and his co-conspirators exploited an airline ticketing accommodation process known as “waivers and favors.”
The process allows authorized customer service employees to make special booking adjustments when necessary. However, the group allegedly abused these privileges to obtain airline services without paying the required fees.
The fraudulent activities included upgrading passengers from economy class to first class without collecting the applicable upgrade charges.
The group also changed passengers’ travel dates and itineraries without charging the required modification fees. In addition, they created unauthorized Electronic Travel Coupons (ETCs), which functioned like airline vouchers.
These activities allowed the conspirators to provide discounted airline travel and other services while causing financial losses to the affected carriers.
Hayes Used an Alias to Sell Discounted Airline Tickets
Hayes admitted that he operated under the alias “Neeve Andrews” to sell heavily discounted airline tickets obtained through fraudulent reservation modifications.
He accepted payments from customers who purchased the discounted tickets.
Hayes also acknowledged using his employee credentials to modify hundreds of Passenger Name Records (PNRs). A PNR contains passenger booking information, including flight reservations and itinerary details.
Through these unauthorized modifications, he and his co-conspirators changed existing bookings and issued dozens of unauthorized Electronic Travel Coupons.
The investigation found that hundreds of PNR modifications and fraudulent ETC vouchers contributed to combined airline losses of approximately $602,886.18.
The court ordered Hayes to pay the full amount in restitution as part of his sentence.
FBI Investigated the Airline Fraud Case
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the scheme and uncovered the misuse of airline reservation systems and employee privileges.
Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Elbogen of the Major Crimes Section for the Central District of California prosecuted the case.
The sentence holds Hayes accountable for his role in a multi-year fraud operation that exploited airline ticketing procedures and caused significant financial losses to three major carriers.
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