A 35-year-old American man has been found guilty of impersonating a flight attendant at least 120 times in order to avoid having to pay for plane tickets.

Federal prosecutors accused Tirone Alexander of entering the secure area of an airport under false pretenses and committing wire fraud at least 120 times between 2018 and 2024. The 35-year-old man reportedly took advantage of a common airline policy that allows flight attendants and pilots from other airlines to fly for free. Alexander, who allegedly had worked as a flight attendant for regional airlines between 2013 and 2015, would go to various airline websites and check the “flight attendant” option during the online check-in process. The form required applicants to provide their employer, date of hire, and badge number, and Alexander used falsified information that apparently no one bothered to check.

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