A Ventura County man, Jared Michael Swensen, was taken into custody today on charges stemming from a federal indictment. The indictment alleges that Swensen's company, J&J Enterprises LLLP, which also goes by Light Helicopter Depot, misled customers about the condition of helicopter parts, posing a significant risk of failure that could result in a crash. The indictment, which was returned on April 10, includes two counts of wire fraud and eight counts of aircraft parts fraud against Swensen and his company.
The accusations detail that Swensen and his business conducted helicopter overhauls and maintenance, wherein they were expected to replace old parts with new or less-used ones. Instead, they allegedly installed older parts that were misrepresented as having fewer service hours, with the indictments noting, "If these parts failed, a helicopter likely would crash." As per the U.S. Attorney's Office, fraudulent entries in the aircraft's maintenance records and altered FAA certificates were also part of the scheme.
This afternoon, Swensen is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for his arraignment. If found guilty, Swensen could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, and up to 15 years for each count involving aircraft parts fraud. Similarly, Light Helicopter Depot could face significant financial penalties, with fines up to $10 million per aircraft parts fraud count and up to $1 million per wire fraud count.
The investigation is being conducted by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Transportation with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Dennis Mitchell and Danbee Kim of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section are heading the prosecution. "An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law," states the press release from the Department of Justice. The full press release can be read on the U.S. Attorney's Office website.
