Summary

On March 14, Sidal Torres, of Waco, Texas, pleaded guilty to charges of providing false information regarding his licensing and certifications and was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Montgomery, Alabama, to 5 years probation and prohibited from working in the aviation industry for 5 years. Torres was indicted in December 2005 on three counts of possessing and using false aircraft maintenance certificates. Investigation found that Torres obtained employment in November 2002 as a contract sheet metal mechanic at Pemco World Air Services, an FAA-certificated repair station in Dothan, Alabama, by providing a false Designated Mechanic Examiner's certification. Torres also claimed that he had a valid Airframe and Power-Plant certificate with an Inspection Authorization license, which had been revoked by FAA. Pemco cooperated with the FAA to ensure that repairs made by Torres were re-inspected and there were no risks to aviation safety.