SFO secures four-year prison sentence in aircraft parts fraud case

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) told Southwark Crown Court that its investigation had uncovered how Zamora, aged 38, sold parts to airlines and suppliers across the globe as part of a £39.3 million fraud conducted from his home office in Surrey.

Investigators uncovered that, from January 2019 to July 2023, AOG Technics sold over 60,000 aircraft engine parts worth £6.9 million accompanied by forged Authorised Release Certificates (ie documentation that guarantees airworthiness).

Most of the parts AOG Technics sold were for use in the CFM56 engine, the world’s most widely used commercial aircraft engine, leading to the company generating over £7.7 million in revenue – 90% from fraud – in just four years.

The SFO exposed how Zamora used his home computer to doctor genuine Authorised Release Certificates, creating false memos of shipments to indicate AOG Technics had purchased parts directly from original equipment manufacturers such as the aircraft equipment manufacturer Safran.

Zamora also invented fake employees, with customers receiving e-mails and documents signed by a range of fabricated sales managers and quality managers as part of creating an illusion of a legitimate business.

Brought to a halt

AOG Technics’ operation was brought to a halt in 2023 after an airline contacted Safran to check the authenticity of an AOG part. Safran identified the certificate as a fake and alerted the authorities, leading to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issuing safety alerts in relation to all AOG Technics parts.

Aircraft in the UK and across the world were grounded with an estimated loss of over £39.3 million for airlines including American Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines as well as various manufacturers.

The SFO’s investigation led Zamora to plead guilty last December to fraudulent trading, in turn meaning that the case was concluded just over two years after it was announced.

Emma Luxton, director of operations at the SFO, said: “Zamora’s operation risked public safety on a global scale in a way that defies belief. I’m proud that we’ve used our specialist skills and expertise to bring him to justice and also this criminal operation to the ground as swiftly as possible.”