Louisiana Man Scams $300k from Airlines at New Orleans Airport in Lost Luggage Scheme
A Kenner, Louisiana man is facing up to 20 years in prison for allegedly scamming multiple airlines out of $300,000 in fraudulent lost luggage claims.
Pernell Anthony Jones Jr. Lost Luggage Scam
Pernell Anthony Jones Jr., 31, of Kenner, Louisiana was arrested at his home on March 19, 2020, for submitting 180 fake lost luggage claims totaling $550,000 over a five-year period.
Of the $550,000 in fake lost luggage claims, Jones was allegedly able to successfully claim $300,000 according to dailymail.co.uk.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana alleges that Jones scammed American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, all operating out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
So, how did he do it?
From dailymail.co.uk -
He carried out the scheme by booking commercial flights in or out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport using fake IDs that included his photo with a fictitious name. Jones would pay for the flights with preloaded gift cards to avoid having the purchases traced back to him.
Next, Jones would file lost luggage claims for the flights he booked, listing the value of his lost luggage at $3,500, the maximum amount that airlines are legally allowed to reimburse.
For his lost luggage claims, Jones allegedly provided the airlines with "at least seven different friends or associates for the airlines to send the reimbursement checks" according to dailymail.co.uk.
Authorities claim that for some of the flights he booked, he didn't even bring any luggage but somehow was able to acquire a ticket for the luggage he checked but never brought.
At the time of Jones' arrest, authorities found 22 fake driver’s licenses at his home.
Police also arrested another man connected to the scam, Donmonick Martin, 29 of Chalmette, Louisiana.
Read more at dailymail.co.uk.