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Office of Inspector General |
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| Title: | Aircraft Parts Distributor Indicted and Arrested |
| Date: | May 25, 2004 |
| Type: | Investigation |
| Summary: | Patrick Philpot, owner of Panther Electronics, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale on charges related to the sale of parts used in radar and communication systems on several military aircraft. Philpot is accused of selling more than 400 microcircuits and electrical connectors to the Air Force and Navy for use on F-14, F-15, and F-16 fighters and B-1 bombers. Random testing by the Defense Department found that approximately 20 percent of the parts purchased were either non-conforming or counterfeit, resulting in failure of the radar system. Philpot was subsequently arrested on May 26 by agents from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. |