USAO, District of New Jersey - Press Release

Summary

On October 27, 2011, Harrington Bishop pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Camden, New Jersey, for accepting illegal gratuities.  Mr. Bishop, a former FAA Aviation Safety Inspector assigned to the Teterboro Flight Standards District Office in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, pled guilty to one criminal count of accepting illegal gratuities as a public official. 

Mr. Bishop admitted to accepting tens of thousands of dollars for hundreds of unauthorized pilot check rides he personally performed between May 2004 and February 2011.  Mr. Bishop spent weekends, holidays, and other days of approved leave to conduct flight checks, including private pilot and airline transport pilot certificate tests.  In exchange for these check flights, he routinely accepted $300 tips from the pilots, fully aware that he was not allowed to accept payment from pilots in exchange for the performance of his official duties.  Mr. Bishop admitted that nearly all the check flights resulted in the pilot passing the tests. 

On October 21, 2011, Mr. Bishop retired from federal service after being served with a Notice of Proposed Removal in connection with the investigation.  Sentencing is scheduled for February 2, 2012.  

Please click on the link above to read the complete press release from the United States Attorney, District of New Jersey.