Former FAA Safety Inspector Convicted In Bribery Scheme

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) - A former FAA safety inspector was convicted of taking part in a fraud and bribery scheme that also included his mother.

On Thursday, a federal jury in Miami took just four hours to convict Manuel Fernandez on 21 criminal counts.

Fernandez served as a safety inspector from 2010 through June 28, 2013.

At the same time, he was worked for Rolando and Patricia Suarez who own AVCOM, a Miami aviation repair company.

Prosecutors said that in exchange for $150,000 in cash plus jewelry and cruises, Fernandez provided the company advance notice of pending FAA inspections, disclosed financial information about competitors, and gave them expensive repair manuals.

The couple also funneled approximately $15,000 to Fernandez's mother

Prosecutors said Fernandez lied to the FAA and DOT in order to hide his participation in these AVCOM-related activities. Additionally, he submitted a phony sick leave request to the FAA, utilizing a forged doctor's note.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)