Ozark Man Pleads Guilty to Selling False Aircraft Inspection Labels

SPRINGFIELD, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an Ozark, Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court today to creating and selling false aircraft inspection labels.

Joseph J. Fisk, 58, of Ozark, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. England to the charge contained in a July 28, 2010, federal indictment. Fisk is the owner of Air & Marine Radio, LLC, in Ozark.

From March to September 2009, Fisk created fraudulent FAA inspection labels on his computer. The fraudulent labels represented a satisfactory annual or 100-hour inspection of an aircraft and contained the forged signature of James F. Probst, who holds an FAA Inspection Authorization certificate, without his knowledge or consent. Probst had never seen or performed an annual inspection on any aircraft with which the fraudulent labels were associated.

Fisk admitted that he placed the fraudulent labels in the logbooks of 10 to 12 aircraft, the records of which he did not maintain. Fisk also sold the false labels to multiple parties for $100 per label on multiple occasions, knowing that the labels would be placed in aircraft maintenance logbooks in violation of federal law.

The FAA has established rules for inspections of aircraft to ensure the safety of the flying public. FAA rules require an annual or 100-hour inspection be performed by the holder of an FAA Inspection Authorization certificate.

Under federal statutes, Fisk is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robyn L. McKee. It was investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation - Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.