In a recent development, two individuals were sentenced in federal court in Brooklyn for their involvement in a fraud scheme targeting JetBlue Airways, as announced by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The defendants, Keily Nunez, a 44-year-old former JetBlue employee from Jamaica, New York, and Julien Levy, 39, from Englewood, New Jersey, were found guilty of embezzling $10 million from JetBlue Airways.
JETBLUE FRAUD: Officials say Julien Levy, of Englewood, and Keily Nunez, a former JetBlue employee, defrauded JetBlue Airways of $10 million. https://t.co/6UdUZRceTq
— News12NJ (@News12NJ) May 6, 2024
According to the DOJ, Nunez and another unnamed JetBlue employee accepted bribes from Levy between July 2017 and June 2021. In return, they approved invoices totaling over $1.5 million for aircraft parts from Levy’s company, Summit Aviation Supply. Furthermore, Nunez received bribes for approving invoices totaling more than $8.5 million for aircraft parts from Alaris Aerospace Systems, a Florida-based company owned by a co-conspirator.
HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan Arvelo condemned the actions of Levy and Nunez, stating that they exploited their positions to orchestrate a scheme that defrauded JetBlue Airways. Arvelo highlighted that the defendants even resorted to manipulating the identity of a deceased airline employee to bypass company protocols, solely for their financial gain.
Moreover, it was revealed that Nunez had previously been sentenced to two years in prison for his involvement in a separate scheme aimed at defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program of $1.5 million through fraudulent loan applications.
As part of their guilty pleas entered in 2023 for honest services wire fraud, Levy and Nunez will serve sentences ranging from 20 to 40 months in prison. The sentencing marks a significant step in holding accountable those responsible for fraudulent activities targeting JetBlue Airways.
This news comes as JetBlue is currently facing public outcry over supposed antisemitism, as a Jewish passenger’s flight was canceled after he quietly complained to an employee about a flight attendant allegedly repositioning her “Free Palestine” pin deliberately after hearing him discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
