Plano American Eagle employee sentenced to federal prison in counterfeit travel vouchers scheme

by Minnie Payne

FORT WORTH — According to the Dallas Business Journal, former American Eagle employee Ken Lamont Kirby, 34, of Plano, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aiding and abetting.

American Eagle is a sister airline to Fort Worth-based American Airlines.

Kirby, along with another American Eagle employee, Edward C. Ivory Jr., 30, of Chicago, who was sentenced last month to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $55,144 in restitution, pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment.

Kirby was ordered to pay $23,700 in restitution. He is to surrender to authorities on Aug. 3.

From July 2005 to November 2005, Kirby and Ivory, while American Eagle employees, used American Airlines’ computer system to print counterfeit transportation vouchers, according to documents in the case.

They then sold the vouchers to customers, generally at 50 percent of face value, and issued airline tickets to them, allowing them to use the counterfeit vouchers to pay for the airline tickets.

Kirby’s role in the plot was mainly marketing counterfeit vouchers to customers, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Andrea Hugeley, American Eagle Airlines’ media person, said that she was not allowed to comment on the situation.