» Charter Jet Pilot and Executives Indicted

Charter Jet Pilot and Executives Indicted

By Christina Bohnstengel

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When a Bombardier Challenger CL-600 charter jet, operated by Platinum Jet Management, skidded across a New Jersey highway in 2005, crashing into a warehouse and igniting into flames, it was considered a miracle of circumstance than more people were not injured or killed.

A 23-count federal indictment that became unsealed this week, revealed the cause of the business jet disaster was due to unscrupulous, greedy practices by Platinum Jet Management.

The charges against co-founders Michael and Paul Brassington, Andre Budhan, Joseph Singh, Brian McKenzie, and Francis Vieira allege that the executives and the pilot purposely over-fueled their planes at airports with cheaper fuel prices. This resulted in the weight of the planes exceeding “maximum allowable takeoff and landing weights,” thereby dangerously shifting the center of gravity. Specific charges include conspiracy, fraud, endangering the safety of aircraft and making false statements to the National Transportation Safety Board.

All were arrested in Florida on Wednesday, with the exception of Vieira and Singh, who could not be found at the time.

Platinum Jet Management operated out of Ft. Lauderdale and booked such high-profile celebrity clients as Harvey Weinstein, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Sean Combs, Ozzy Osborne, Joe Montana, and Shaquille O’Neal.

Via ABC News

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One Response to “Charter Jet Pilot and Executives Indicted”

Gail Says:
February 13th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Is this our Brian?

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