According to court documents, Kuwata conspired with
others to conceal from customers and the FAA the facts
about WECO’s repairs; namely that those repairs were not
being done in accordance with the CMMs and FAA
regulations, and to communicate false information about
those repairs to customers. This conduct recklessly
endangered the safety of aircraft that used the parts
repaired by WECO.
There have been no known instances in which a fraudulent
WECO repair resulted in an aircraft accident. Upon
learning of the allegations, the FAA issued an emergency
order suspending WECO’s repair station certificate. In
addition, since finalizing its purchase of WECO in 2008,
Gulfstream has fully cooperated with law enforcement in
the investigation and prosecution of this case. The
conduct alleged occurred prior to Gulfstream’s
acquisition of WECO, and none of the defendants is
currently employed at WECO.
Sentencing has not been set at this time; Kuwata faces a
maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine,
and a three-year term of supervised release. The actual
sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion
of the court after consideration of any applicable
statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines,
which take into account a number of variables.
Remaining co-defendants in the case include William Hugh
Weygandt, 63, of Granite Bay; Scott Hamilton Durham, 39,
of Roseville; Christopher Warren MacQueen, 53, of
Lincoln; and Douglas Arthur Johnson, 52, of Granite Bay.
Each is charged with conspiracy to commit fraud
involving aircraft parts. The charges are only
allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent
until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt. Michael
Dennis Maupin, 58, of Arbuckle, and Anthony Vincent Zito,
47, of Saugus, have pleaded guilty to violations
stemming from this case and await sentencing.
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