Former Lake Charles Company Employee Sentenced for Conspiring to Steal $900,000 Worth of Merchandise

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a former purchasing agent for a Lake Charles aviation company was sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in stealing more than $900,000 worth of aircraft parts in return for cash.

David Kuhl, 54, of Federal Way, Washington, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik, to pay restitution of $930,401 and serve three years of supervised release. Kuhl pleaded guilty on October 10, 2013, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Kuhl used his position as a purchasing agent for Aeroframe Services LLC in Lake Charles to steal merchandise and then sell that merchandise to other businesses in the aviation industry across the United States. After those aviation companies sold the parts, they would either wire money or send checks to Kuhl who would then pay his co-conspirator at Aeroframe.  He was also paid in the form of airline tickets, and on one occasion, in the form of a family vacation. Kuhl took part in the conspiracy from February 26, 2007 to June 10, 2009. Aeroframe is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified Part 145 repair station and maintenance repair operations business.

“This defendant abused his position to satisfy his greed,” Finley stated.  “We will prosecute anyone who commits fraud against businesses in the Western District of Louisiana.  Thank you to the prosecutors and law enforcement agencies who worked this case.”

The U.S. Secret Service and the Lake Charles Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard A. Willis and Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.