Investigations

On December 11, 2019, James Ryan Higgins, who worked for the agricultural aviation industry, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Amarillo, Texas, to serving as an airman without a certificate. The investigation revealed that, from July 2018 until September 2018, Higgins knowingly and willfully served and attempted to serve as an airman of an aircraft in commercial and other capacities, although he was not licensed to do so. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2020.

 

DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation with assistance from FAA’s Lubbock Flight Standards District Office and the Sheriff’s Department of Sherman County, Texas.