A Florida man pulled off a years-long scam that let him fly across the country for free more than 120 times — all by pretending to be a flight attendant. Now he’s been convicted and could spend decades behind bars.
Tiron Alexander, 35, was found guilty of wire fraud and sneaking into secure areas of airports under false pretenses, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said Tuesday.
From 2018 to 2024, Alexander posed as a flight attendant and used a major airline’s employee booking system to score free flights. The system is meant for real crew members and asks for employer info, hire date, and badge number. Alexander made it all up.
He used fake details to book at least 34 flights on one airline. Prosecutors said he faked working for seven different airlines and submitted about 30 different badge numbers to make the scheme work.
“The evidence at trial also showed that Alexander posed as a flight attendant on three other airline carriers,” prosecutors said. “Ultimately, Alexander booked more than 120 free flights by falsely claiming to be a flight attendant.”
An indictment from October said Alexander claimed to work for a Dallas-based airline since 2015. But the truth? He was never a flight attendant. He was never a pilot.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which helped investigate the case, said it was satisfied with the verdict. “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,” the TSA said. “TSA remains dedicated to the security of the flying public and will continue to support the prosecution of those who break air travel laws.”
Now Alexander is waiting to be sentenced. He could face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and 10 years for entering secure airport areas under false pretenses. Both charges also come with a possible $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release. His sentencing is set for August 25.
