The Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the British authority specializing in the fight against major financial fraud and corruption, has just sentenced the director of British company AOG Technics to four years and eight months in prison in the case of fraudulent engine parts placed on the market between January 2019 and July 2023.

According to the SFO, investigators discovered that AOG Technics had sold over 60,000 engine parts for £6.9 million (over $9 million), accompanied by forged Authorised Release Certificates (ARCs). Most of these parts were destined for the CFM56 engine family. Thanks to these sales, the company generated over £7.7 million in revenues (over $10 million) in just over four years, 90% of which came from fraudulent activities.

Aircraft were grounded around the world, with losses to airlines estimated at over $53 million.

AOG Technics ceased operations when an airline contacted Safran to verify the authenticity of a part. The engine manufacturer identified the certificate as a forgery and alerted the authorities, leading the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to issue safety advisories concerning parts supplied by AOG Technics.