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A South Florida man who pretended to be a flight attendant booked “more than 120 free flights,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
Tiron Alexander, 35, was convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud and entering a secure area of an airport by false pretenses on June 5, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Authorities say from 2018 to 2024, Alexander booked free flights on an airline carrier’s website that were only meant for pilots and flight attendants. Of all the flights booked, Alexander flew on 34 “without paying for any of them by posing as a flight attendant who worked for other airlines.”
The website Alexander used required credentials, such as airline employed by, date of hire and badge number. Over the years, he said that he worked for seven different airlines and used about 30 different badge numbers and dates of hire.
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A flight attendant serves drinks to passengers sitting in a chair in an airplane cabin of Boeing 787-10 Etihad Airways. (ruelleruelle/UCG/Universal Images Group)
“The evidence at trial also showed that Alexander posed as a flight attendant on three other airline carriers. Ultimately, Alexander booked more than 120 free flights by falsely claiming to be a flight attendant,” the statement said.
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Cabin view of the economy section with the personal screens of the in-flight entertainment system on a United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto)
The Transportation and Safety Administration (TSA) investigated the case. A spokesman told Fox News Digital the agency is “pleased” with Alexander’s guilty verdict on all five counts against him.
“While Alexander was able to board flights by fraudulently obtaining a boarding pass, he underwent all applicable TSA security procedures, including ID verification and physical screening, and did not pose a threat to other airline passengers,” a TSA statement said.
A TSA agent wears a patch on his uniform at the Miami International Airport on Dec. 17, 2024 in Miami. (Joe Raedle)
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“TSA remains dedicated to the security of the flying public and will continue to support the prosecution of those who break air travel laws,” the statement added.
Alexander’s sentencing is set for Aug. 25.