$54M fake plane parts scheme lands former DJ in prison

In a scheme that could surely kick off the plot of a movie, a former DJ who ran a fraudulent airplane engine parts scheme worth tens of millions of dollars was sentenced to four years and eight months of prison time in the United Kingdom.José Alejandro Zamora Yrala, a resident of Surrey outside of London, had once worked as a local techno DJ before founding AOG Technics, which he advertised as an airplane parts resale company, in 2019.An investigation by the Serious Fraud Office agency in the British government later discovered that Yrala had resold over 60,000 seals, bolts and washers used in the CFM56 engine powering the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 without authorization to do so or guarantees of authenticity between 2019 and 2023.AOG Technics plane parts scheme led to safety alerts, groundings and criminal caseAirlines such as Delta, American Airlines, Ryanair and Ethiopian Airlines all ended up purchasing plane parts from AOG Technics in a scheme that totaled over £40 million ($54 million USD). The fraudulent operation started to come unraveled in 2023 when one of the airlines contacted the manufacturer to check for the authenticity of one of the parts and discovered that it had been resold. As first reported by The Guardian on the Serious Fraud Office Investigation, Yrala had been using his home computer to manufacture fake certificates of authenticity and delivery records as well as maintain the appearance of a genuine company through a website listing non-existent employees and sending emails from addresses impersonating quality managers.Related: A man got 120 free flights pretending to be a flight attendantAs the scheme came to light, agencies including the FAA in the U.S. and Civil Aviation Authority in the UK issued safety alerts as planes in different parts of the world were grounded pending an inspection of the parts."Safran identified the certificate as a fake and alerted authorities, leading to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, the United States' Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issuing safety alerts in relation to all AOG Technics parts," Serious Fraud Office wrote in a note on the initial investigation. AOG Technics sold fraudulent components of the CFM56 Engine used in several major plane models.Safran AOG Technics director and former DJ "risked public safety on a global scale," investigator saysThe investigation found that Yrala sold over 60,000 parts worth approximately £6.9 million ($8.10 million USD) in a total fraud operation that caused airlines more than £40 million in losses over having to ground planes, conduct investigations and repurchase the needed parts.Yrala ended up pleading guilty to fraudulent trading in December 2025 and getting sentenced to four years and eight months in prison on Feb. 23. His counsel, criminal defense attorney Nicola Howard KC of 25 Bedford Row, had previously classified Yrala's actions as him having "cut corners" to sell parts.Travel News:Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.United Airlines CEO gives stark warning on Olympic GamesUnexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026US government issues sudden warning on Switzerland travel"Your offending involved a more or less complete undermining of a regulatory framework designed to safeguard the millions of people who fly every day of the year," British High Court Justice Simon Picken said in his ruling.Serious Fraud Office Director of Operations Emma Luxton had earlier also classified Yrala's actions as ones that "risked public safety on a global scale."Related: After Chapter 11 bankruptcy, airline makes surprising comeback