Summary

On March 30, Leonor Gonzalez, a former administrative employee of M&M International Aerospace Metals, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was ordered to serve 18 months probation by a U.S. District Court judge in Fort Lauderdale for her role in fraud involving aerospace parts. Gonzalez altered certificates of compliance provided to the United Space Alliance (NASA's contractor for the space shuttle fleet) to falsely indicate that metals provided had met test results and specifications. Gonzalez pleaded guilty on December 22, 2006 to one count of making a false statement. M&M supplied raw metals to the aerospace community, including NASA, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy. The materials were then used by M&M customers in various aerospace-grade aluminum and stainless steel plates, pipes, flat stock, and bars. While OIG could not positively trace non-conforming materials to their final end users, FAA issued an unapproved parts notification in December 2005 to aircraft owners, operators, maintenance organizations, manufacturers, and parts suppliers and distributors regarding raw metal sold with altered material certification. This investigation was conducted with the Department of Energy OIG, the NASA OIG, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.