A federal jury has convicted 43-year-old Patrick Britton‑Harr on six counts of wire fraud in a case prosecutors say was built around a flashy private jet membership program that never really took off the way customers were promised. The verdict follows months of civil litigation and a federal probe into AeroVanti, the charter membership business Britton‑Harr founded.
According to Eye On Annapolis, jurors returned guilty verdicts on all six counts against Britton‑Harr, who ran AeroVanti and related entities. Prosecutors say he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison on each count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, with a sentencing date to be set by the court.
How Prosecutors Say the Top Gun Program Worked
Federal filings describe a “Top Gun” membership that required customers to put up $150,000 up front in exchange for blocks of flight hours. Members were grouped into units that were supposed to collectively buy five Piaggio aircraft, and roughly $15 million was collected for that purpose, according to court filings. The indictments allege that those escrowed funds were earmarked for aircraft purchases but were instead diverted.
Where Prosecutors Say the Money Ended Up
The Justice Department says money held in escrow for aircraft purchases was funneled into AeroVanti accounts and then used for personal spending rather than planes. Those expenditures allegedly included yachts, jewelry, living expenses, and a $10,000‑per‑month rental near Tampa, according to the Justice Department. Those details surfaced in unsealed indictments that kicked off the federal prosecutions last year.
Alleged Cover Up and Trial Evidence
Trial evidence showed Britton‑Harr later secured a $1.5 million loan to buy an aircraft he had already told members was purchased with their money, an act prosecutors say was aimed at masking the missing funds, according to the court record. At trial, prosecutors walked jurors through escrow records and bank transfers to trace how member payments flowed into company accounts.
What Comes Next in Court
Sentencing will be scheduled after a presentence report and standard post‑conviction procedures. Britton‑Harr also faces a separate indictment over alleged multimillion‑dollar Medicare billing fraud tied to pandemic‑era respiratory pathogen testing, with a trial on those health care charges that had been set for October, Business Observer reported when the court calendar was released.
“This conviction sends a strong message that if you scam and defraud others, we’re coming after you with the full weight of the law,” U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes said in a statement quoted by Eye On Annapolis. Local coverage closely followed jury proceedings and victim statements as the case moved through the court.
AeroVanti, launched in 2021 and later the subject of multiple civil suits from members and vendors, has been accused in lawsuits and filings of selling memberships tied to planes that were repossessed or never paid for. The company’s mounting legal and commercial problems are detailed in regional reporting and in court records, which show a tangle of civil claims alongside the federal criminal indictments. Business Observer and court filings provide additional background on that litigation history.
