According to court documents, Kuwata conspired with others to conceal from customers and the FAA the facts about WECO’s repairs; namely that those repairs were not being done in accordance with the CMMs and FAA regulations, and to communicate false information about those repairs to customers. This conduct recklessly endangered the safety of aircraft that used the parts repaired by WECO.

There have been no known instances in which a fraudulent WECO repair resulted in an aircraft accident. Upon learning of the allegations, the FAA issued an emergency order suspending WECO’s repair station certificate. In addition, since finalizing its purchase of WECO in 2008, Gulfstream has fully cooperated with law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of this case. The conduct alleged occurred prior to Gulfstream’s acquisition of WECO, and none of the defendants is currently employed at WECO.

Sentencing has not been set at this time; Kuwata faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a three-year term of supervised release. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Remaining co-defendants in the case include William Hugh Weygandt, 63, of Granite Bay; Scott Hamilton Durham, 39, of Roseville; Christopher Warren MacQueen, 53, of Lincoln; and Douglas Arthur Johnson, 52, of Granite Bay. Each is charged with conspiracy to commit fraud involving aircraft parts. The charges are only allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Michael Dennis Maupin, 58, of Arbuckle, and Anthony Vincent Zito, 47, of Saugus, have pleaded guilty to violations stemming from this case and await sentencing.