Two former owners of FLYT Aviation in Peachtree City, Georgia, have been arrested on theft and racketeering charges following an investigation into flight school student training funds. Alex Hamlin, 34, and Harlan Hamlin, 59, each face 20 counts of theft by conversion and one count of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, according to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation release. Both were booked into the Fayette County Jail on Sept. 4.
Student Complaints Prompted Investigation
FLYT Aviation was sold to another owner in October 2024. Peachtree City police began receiving reports the following month from students who said money they paid for their flight school expenses did not match their account balances. The department later requested assistance from GBI’s Financial Investigation Unit for a forensic financial audit. Investigators said nearly 50 alleged victims eventually came forward.
The GBI said investigators found several student accounts had allegedly been misappropriated while the Hamlins operated the school. The affected accounts included funds tied to aviation scholarships and student financing programs. The agency began assisting Peachtree City police in February 2025, and the investigation continued for more than a year before the arrests.
More Arrests Expected
“Additional arrests are expected in this case,” the GBI said.
Authorities have not publicly identified additional suspects or disclosed the total amount of money allegedly involved. Investigators have not yet released a dollar figure for the losses associated with the nearly 50 complaints related to the flight schoool.
Once investigators complete their work, the agency said the case file will be submitted to the Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Skimming funds from students accounts tied to flight schools seems to be repeating itself. About 25 years ago, the same fraud occurred with Silver State Helicopters. SSH defrauded students enrolled in helicopter flight training. SSH seemed to dodge accountability by closing or filing for bankruptcy then opening another school in another state until feds caught up with them.