Two former employees of a Florida aircraft parts broker have been handed prison sentences for their roles in a scheme that involved selling non-airworthy aircraft parts to unsuspecting buyers, including the U.S. Department of Defense and Canadian airlines.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Daniel Navarro, 50, from Miami Lakes, who served as the Vice President of Sofly Aviation Services, received a 30-month term alongside a subsequent 36 months of supervised release, while Jorge Guerrero, 71, of Hialeah, faced a slightly more lenient punishment with only 12 months and one day of imprisonment followed again by 36 months of supervised release, both are required to pay a joint restitution of $204,055 by Judge Federico A. Moreno. The investigation, led by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, in conjunction with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and including assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration, resulted in a forfeiture order of $93,309.22 against property owned by Navarro.

The court records revealed that the fraudulent activity started back in 2012 and continued up until 2019, where Navarro and Guerrero were engaged in purchasing aircraft parts labeled as "as removed" and then reselling them with false documentation that asserted the parts were overhauled, inspected, or repaired and therefore airworthy, based on standards by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and even though these parts were functionally unreliable, they would often fraudulently certify these parts using an actual repair station's FAA certificate number without the knowledge or consent of those stations.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent-in-Charge Darrin K. Jones from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, and Joseph Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge at the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General were instrumental in exposing the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Keller took lead on the prosecution; meanwhile, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco handled asset forfeiture, ensuring that justice was served in a case that could've jeopardized countless lives given the critical nature of aircraft component integrity.

Public records and further case details are accessible on the Southern District of Florida's District Court website or through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system by referencing Case No. 23-CR-20416.