Investigations

On June 26, 2019, Michelle Renee Hughes was indicted in U.S. District Court, Seattle, Washington, for scheming to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and prospective aircraft purchasers.

 

The indictment alleges that from approximately February 2019 until June 2019, Hughes provided falsified FAA bills of sale for two separate aircraft, listing himself as the aircraft’s purchaser and the legal owners listed as the sellers. Hughes also allegedly forged the legal owners’ signatures on the bills of sale and submitted fraudulent aircraft registration applications attesting that he owned the aircraft. He then sought to sell the aircraft using an online site for aircraft sales and an aircraft broker.

 

DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation with the Department of Homeland Security–Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

 

Note: Indictments, informations, and criminal complaints are only accusations by the Government. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.