False Certifications Lead To Jail Term

In an unrelated case in California, Amanullah Khan, 56, of Brea, Calif., was sentenced to 188 months in prison for falsely certifying aircraft parts, including flight-critical components, according to a release posted by The Law News Network attributed by the site to Assistant US Attorney, Douglas F. McCormick. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter also ordered Khan to pay $5.4 million in restitution to his victims. According to the release, Khan simply drew up his own FAA certifications for the parts he sold, including helicopter grip assemblies that he said were made of steel when they were actually made of aluminum. The parts are available in both metals but steel assemblies have a 2,500-hour life while the aluminum assemblies are only good for 300 hours, according to the release. The US Attorney’s release, Khan switched data plates on the parts. And in an ironic twist, Khan was also found guilty of illegally supplying parts to foreign military powers. Khan was apparently swept up in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement action called Operation Dark Star. Agents, posing as Chinese arms brokers, bought components for fighters and military helicopters off Khan. Khan had also supplied parts to the U.S. military for F-4s and C-130s.